by S. J. West
“The people there seemed to be genuinely stunned by the proposal when he made it,” Desmond says, “but no one spoke up against it. I think the down-worlders don't care what he needs to do to stay happy as long as he still provides them with the extra supplies they need. And the up-worlders simply don't want to piss him off. They like this new Lorcan and don't want to see the return of the sadistic one anytime soon.”
“Was Kyna with him when he made this announcement?” Malcolm asks.
“No,” Brutus tells us. “From what we could gather, Lorcan has her locked up in the palace until the wedding takes place.”
“And when is this wedding supposed to happen?” I ask.
“Tomorrow.”
I look at Malcolm. “That doesn't give us much time.”
“No it doesn't, which is probably what he was counting on.”
I look back at the others. “I assume there will be a wedding celebration this evening? Every royal wedding has one the night before.”
“Yes,” Jered says. “In fact it's supposed to start in a couple of hours, but only the aristocrats from Stratus were invited to attend.”
“Then I suggest we all get ready to crash a party, gentlemen.” I look at Brutus and place a comforting hand on his arm. “We won't let this happen, Brutus. Even if she wasn't your soulmate, I would still speak up and not allow Kyna to be married off to her own brother against her will. I'll find a way to bring her home with us even if I end up having to kill the Emperor of Stratus myself.”
“Abaddon has always been a sadistic bastard,” Brutus says in disgust. “I'm not surprised at all that he's doing this while he's disguised as Lorcan. I can't say I blame him for wanting Kyna, but even he should know this world doesn't look kindly on brothers marrying their own sisters.”
“Did he give people a reason why he thought this was a good thing to do?” Jered asks.
“He tried,” Desmond responds with a shake of his head. “He spouted off some garbage about keeping the Halloran bloodline pure to increase the amount of royal blood in the next heir, and that doing such a thing would ensure that Stratus would remain peaceful under the rule of a true Halloran. It was complete rubbish and everyone knew it. They were just too chicken to call him out on it.”
“The sooner we get Kyna away from Lorcan... Abaddon... whatever name you want to give him,” I say, “the better. Let's get over there quickly before he decides to escalate his plans. I think it's time he was put in his place and understands I won't sit idly by and watch something like this happen. It might be a good lesson for all of Lucifer's people to learn.”
“Are you really going to kill him?” Jered asks me, concerned over such a possibility.
“I will if I have to in order to save Kyna. Hopefully, Lorcan is smarter than that and will simply hand her over to me.”
“You can bet he won't make it that easy,” Malcolm tells me.
“Then I guess we might have a fight on our hands,” I reply, “because Kyna Halloran is coming home with us, one way or another.”
Chapter 14
The fashion of Stratus was a modern take on medieval era attire. I didn't exactly have anything to wear that fit that description in my own wardrobe. Therefore, I decide to wear the red gown I wore to the dinner party Malcolm and I gave, which also happened to be the night Malcolm proposed.
If it hadn't been for Millie being in the room helping me get ready, I'm not sure the dress would have ever made it onto my body considering the way Malcolm kept chancing glances in my direction. Whenever our eyes met, I could tell he was thinking about one thing--taking the dress off and throwing me onto his bed. Not that I would have made any sort of protest if he had, but I'm pretty sure Millie would have run out of the room in complete mortification.
Malcolm donned the same suit he wore to my own wedding celebration in Cirrus, sans the lily shaped pin. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded him wearing the pin, but I think not wearing it meant something to him. There wasn't a shred of doubt in my mind that Malcolm now loved me with his whole heart. Even if he had worn the pin, I would have just taken it as a sign of respect for a friend that he still held dear. Now that I knew Lilly, I felt a special connection to her also. She was the first in a long line of women who were chosen by God to help protect our world. I felt honor bound to make sure I didn't bring disgrace to such a noble lineage. If anything, I hoped to make my own mark in our family chronicle.
After Millie puts the finishing touches on the thick braid she styled my hair into, Malcolm and I talk about what should be done to retrieve Kyna.
We come up with a plan that seems to amuse my husband to no end.
Malcolm chuckles. “I have to admit. I’m looking forward to you making him squirm.”
“So you don’t think he’ll give me any trouble?” I ask, slipping on a pair of elbow length black satin gloves.
“Not a bit. He won’t present much of a challenge for you,” Malcolm says confidently. “If I thought you might get hurt, I would try to talk you out of it. As it is, I’m just looking forward to watching him show his true colors. The only thing you have to worry about is his weapon.”
“It’s not a whip like Levi’s is it?”
“No. It’s a sword he calls Phantom.”
“Why is it called that?”
“It gives him the ability to make it appear as though he’s in one place when he’s actually in a completely different one. If you try to use your eyes to keep track of his movements, it will distract you from the real fight.”
“So should I just keep my eyes closed?”
“Let me worry about that part,” Malcolm says with a smile.
“Why? What do you have planned?”
“Something I had hoped to try out in private first, but I guess that won’t be possible now.”
“Which is?”
Malcolm walks into his closet and comes back out with a black silk tie in his hands.
“Turn around,” he tells me.
I do as instructed and Malcolm ties the silk over my eyes, blocking my sight.
“I’ve never fought without being able to see,” I tell him.
I feel a little disoriented at first but quickly discover that my hearing has become more sensitive. I hear Malcolm moving around the room and know exactly where he is. Suddenly, I sense an object approaching my head and duck out of the way only to hear it shatter against the wall behind me.
“Was that really necessary?” I ask Malcolm, feeling a little exasperated by the act.
“I wanted to make sure you could sense an inanimate object coming at you quickly,” he says in his own defense. “Now I’m going to phase around the room. Point in the direction you think I am. If you guess wrong, I’ll let you know.”
Malcolm must phase within the room twenty times with me pointing to where I think he is before he finally phases right in front of me.
“Very good,” Malcolm says, placing his hands on the sides of my waist.
I feel him lower his head towards mine, but he doesn’t kiss me. His warm breath caresses my mouth making it water in anticipation.
“What are you waiting for?” I ask him, breathlessly.
“I think if I start kissing you now we’ll never make it to Stratus tonight,” Malcolm admits hoarsely, letting his hands glide up the front of my dress and slide over my breasts before travelling back down to my hips.
“Millie would kill you if you ruined my hair,” I say jokingly.
Malcolm reaches around to the back of my head and loosens the knot there to take my blindfold off.
“Well, we can’t invoke the wrath of Millie,” Malcolm says in all seriousness. “She only looks like a docile house servant until you cross her.”
“Well I wouldn’t know,” I say, trying to imagine a livid Millie. “I’ve never given her a reason to be mad at me.”
“Smart woman,” Malcolm says with a smile, holding one of his arms out to me. “Shall we go and rescue Brutus’ damsel in distress?”
By the
time we make it back downstairs, Jered, Desmond, and Brutus have also changed into proper attire for the royal function. Brutus looks a bit nervous as he tries to adjust the cuffs of his sleeves beneath his jacket. He then fidgeted with the slim black tie he’s wearing. I walk up to him and act as though I am setting it straight even though it’s already perfectly in place.
“You look quite dashing,” I tell him. I know exactly what’s going through Brutus' mind. This will be the first time he and Kyna will come face to face. She will finally see him, and the connection between them will finally be realized. “She won't be able to resist you.”
“I suppose we'll see,” Brutus says, sounding uncertain about his first formal introduction to Kyna.
I find it a curious thing for him to say but don't have time to delve into it any further.
Malcolm informs everyone about our plans before we prepare to leave.
“This I can’t wait to see,” Desmond says with a smile.
“Abaddon’s vanity should work well to your advantage,” Jered tells me. “We should probably go ahead and phase over there. Who knows what Lorcan's reaction will be to our unexpected arrival? He might even try to kick us out.”
“Perhaps we shouldn't all go at once,” I suggest. “Why don't you and Desmond phase there first and get lost in the crowd that’s probably already present? Malcolm, Brutus, and I will make an official appearance and draw Lorcan’s attention. If they try to kick us out, at least the two of you will still be nearby to help Kyna.”
With our plan set, Desmond and Jered phase first. Presumably letting themselves get lost in the crowd of Stratus aristocrats present in the palace to celebrate in their emperor's upcoming unholy nuptials.
“Have you ever been to Stratus?” I ask Malcolm.
“Once, a long time ago,” he says. “Have you?”
“No, I wasn't allowed to leave Cirrus, remember?”
“I can phase us into the palace where the party is being held,” Brutus says. “I was there recently.”
“Did you go there hoping to catch a glimpse of Kyna?” I ask him, finding Brutus’ concern over Kyna’s welfare endearing.
“I just wanted to make sure she was all right,” he admits with a small shrug of his rather large shoulders.
I place my hand on one of Brutus' arms and hold out my other hand for Malcolm to take.
“Then let’s not waste any more time, Brutus. Let’s go rescue your woman.”
Brutus smiles and phases us directly to the palace.
The music of a full orchestra welcomes us as we phase into the seat of power of Stratus. The home of the Hallorans is a mish-mash of various European palaces throughout history, which were destroyed either by time or by the Great War. From my childhood history lessons, I know the room we’re standing in is an oversized replica of the Hall of Mirrors from the Palace of Versailles.
The room is a little over three-hundred feet long and forty feet wide with a sixty foot high, mural painted ceiling. Seventeen mirror-clad arches are in complete alignment with seventeen arched windows on the wall opposite them, which are situated between rectangular white marble pillars. The Halloran castle is built slightly above the regular dwellings of Stratus. The smaller homes of the aristocrats in the city can be glimpsed through the windows in the room.
It seems like every person of note within Stratus society has shown up for the spectacle of the Halloran wedding celebration. I’m sure it isn’t every day that you get to witness the marriage of a brother to his sister. Among polite society, it was taboo to marry within your own family, even if it was a long lost cousin. I can only imagine the gossip that’s spreading among the citizens of Stratus about what the true relationship between Lorcan and Kyna has been all these years. Sometimes people thrive when given the opportunity to feed off others misfortunes, making them feel falsely superior. I can see in the way people are whispering to each other that those in attendance are feeling quite pompous.
Locating Kyna is far simpler than I originally thought it would be. Apparently, Lorcan wanted to make sure everyone in the room could clearly view his bride to be and understand that he is in complete control of her.
Hanging from the ceiling on the opposite end of the room from where we stand is a gilded golden cage, like one you would use to trap a songbird. It is large enough for Kyna to stand in and watch the proceedings below. She looks hopping mad, and I can’t say I blame her one-bit considering how jovial the crowd beneath her is acting about her forthcoming marriage.
Lorcan even dressed her up to look the part of a captive bird. Kyna is wearing a high-collared coat composed of bird feathers, which have been painted with gold. The slim fitting coat reaches down to the full skirt of a mermaid style dress she’s obviously wearing underneath it. The skirt itself is white with an intricately embroidered design around the bottom edge in gold thread. She’s wearing a gold, gem encrusted crown on her head marking her rank as the princess of Stratus, but there is a gold and pearl mesh attached to the base of the crown, which acts to cover her face and obscure its features. I can see her lips moving like she’s trying to say something to the people below her, but no one seems to realize she’s speaking. I assume the mesh also acts to silence her voice, probably a force field of some sort, to block her speech so people can’t hear her shouts of strident protests at the situation.
“I’m getting her the hell out of that thing,” Brutus says with such fierce intent, I’m surprised he even bothered to tell us what his plans were.
He tries to phase to do just what he said, but I grab one of his arms and pull him back.
“Don’t,” I warn him. “We don’t need to cause a scene. Let me handle Lorcan first.”
“I can’t allow him to keep her caged like an animal,” Brutus says passionately.
“If you try to take her away from here now,” Malcolm says, “the two of you will be on the run until we can get things under control. Let’s stick to our plan and use yours as a last resort, Brutus.”
I can tell by the look on Brutus’ face that he doesn’t like just standing idly by while the woman he loves is being treated so poorly. But he also knows my plan to get Kyna back is the best course of action.
Brutus nods his head, silently agreeing to abide by the strategy we have in place, at least for now.
“Ahh, Empress Anna,” I hear a friendly, familiar voice say behind me.
I turn around to find Empress Olivia Ravensdale of Nacreous walking up to us. She’s wearing a plain black dress signifying that she’s still in mourning for her husband, Horatio. I feel a sense of guilt when I see her. I promised her I would make Botis pay for killing her husband and taking his body. And I don’t like leaving promises unfulfilled…
“I see you’ve come to investigate the barbaric goings on here in Stratus as well,” she says knowingly.
“I’ve come to stop it,” I tell her with complete confidence.
Olivia smiles and I see a look of approval enter her eyes. “Then I whole heartedly support your efforts. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
“If you could lend me your support when I make my demand to Lorcan,” I tell her, “I would appreciate it.”
“You have my full sponsorship,” Olivia says, her eyes leaving my face to look at the cage Kyna is imprisoned in. “The sooner we get her out of that thing the better.”
“Agreed,” I say.
Suddenly, the music being played comes to an abrupt halt, and the people in the room stop dancing. Complete silence reigns as I turn back around to see what those around me are staring at on the other end of the room.
I see Lorcan Halloran standing in front of an enormous black obsidian throne chair. He’s wearing a dark grey wool suit with the lower half of the sleeves and pants made of black leather. The jacket collar is double layered with the same black leather as a separate, underlying collar.
“Greetings,” Lorcan says as his eyes narrow on me. His face is a lesson in complete control.
Wi
th this one word uttered by their emperor, the people of Stratus act as though it were a command for them to gather against the sides of each wall. Their parting clears an unobstructed path between my small group and Lorcan.
“I must say,” Lorcan continues, “I don’t remember extending an invitation to our little soiree to such….esteemed guests, two empresses and an overlord no less. How generous of you all to grace us with your presence and come to personally wish Kyna and I well in our upcoming nuptials. Don’t you think it was thoughtful of them, my dear?”
Lorcan looks up at Kyna in her gilded cage with a cocky smirk. If Kyna’s voice were audible, I’m sure we would have all heard some choice words from the princess in answer to her brother’s question.
I begin to make my way down the room towards Lorcan, which immediately draws his attention back to me. Malcolm and Brutus walk slightly behind and on either side of me. Olivia trails behind us, giving me the lead in our little processional.
I don’t say anything as I walk towards Lorcan, and my continued silence has the desired effect. The closer I get the less sure of himself he looks. If I had respected his rule as Emperor of Stratus, the code of conduct all rulers abide by would have dictated that I speak to him by now. However, my continued silence shows to those present that I do not respect his status or his rule. In some circumstances, it could ignite a war, but in this instance, I’m only looking for a battle.
Once I stand in front of him, I stare Lorcan in the eyes until he backs down and glances away. His action tells me exactly what I need to know. Deep down inside his shallow exterior is a coward of the worst sort. It’s a trait I plan to exploit to the fullest.
“It’s been a long time since I saw you last, Lorcan,” I finally say. “I had a hard time believing you actually intended to marry your own sister. So I came to verify your ridiculous intentions for myself.”
“Our union will yield a pure-blooded Halloran to carry on the family line,” Lorcan says, sounding self-righteous about such a fact. “Perhaps we’ll start a new trend among the royal families. They should be more careful in protecting their own bloodlines in such a way. It might prevent people of,” Lorcan looks me up and down scathingly, “lesser ancestries from polluting the strength of future leaders.”