Caller of Light

by Tj Shaw

  “You are the Caller, my child,” boomed a gravelly, multilayered voice.

  Carina clenched her teeth as she merged with the great creature, their minds blending into one.

  “I have waited years for you to call me. Now your time has arrived to fulfill your destiny.”

  Carina grimaced as the Criton’s consciousness saturated her mind. Through their connection, she experienced the animal’s immense despair as if it were her own. She extended herself to offer comfort and brushed against the limitless knowledge of the mighty animal. The information flooded Carina’s mind faster than she could process and she withdrew to a distant corner within herself, cowering like a child. Even though her touch was small, she learned enough to recognize a normal connection shouldn’t cause such pain.

  “Yes, my mind has melded with many, but I am not meant for you.” The Criton’s voice echoed from everywhere around and within her. “I am sorry for the discomfort, but there is no other way.”

  Carina bit her bottom lip in restraint.

  “My children have lost their way since the Caller’s absence. They have grown unruly because they do not know the serenity of bonding with the missing half of their soul. They seek other paths to overcome the ache in their hearts, and I cry for them.”

  Carina listened as the intensity of the Criton’s words pounded in her head, chipping away bits of her sanity with each word spoken. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep the madness from consuming her.

  “Although my children are strong and worthy Critons, they will no longer readily submit to a rider. But you are here, and have experienced the power of the Great Mother. Using the Mother’s sight, you will see the strands of light connecting the souls of my children to their riders and guide them for the joining. Be forewarned, however, you can only show them the path. The ultimate decision to bond lies with each rider and Criton. Although joining is the nature of their destiny, free will always controls. One can fear the unknown and choose to deny the bond calling.

  I am old and my strength wanes. The time has come for another to lead. Your courage gives me hope for our continued co-existence, my young Caller.”

  Just when Carina was sure her mind would explode the presence disappeared, taking the power and knowledge with it and leaving behind a cold emptiness in the vacated space.

  ****

  Marek held Carina close as the yellow Criton lifted her head and roared. The thunderous cry from answering Critons shook the mountaintop. Carina’s eyes fluttered open and he stared at her in disbelief. Her beautiful, brown eyes blazed with energy.

  Carina moaned and tightened her already death grip hold on his hand. Desperation and remorse crawled through his veins. This was his fault. He’d asked her to call Critons on a whim, just to see what would happen. His recklessness had thrown her into an internal power struggle where he couldn’t protect her.

  Marek stared into the Criton’s face. “Release her,” he commanded. The Criton’s shining eyes pulsed and he resisted the urge to glance away from the uncharacteristic glow.

  A stinging sensation spread across his chest and down his arms like hundreds of fire rifas biting his skin. Caught within the hypnotic hold, an increasing pressure pushed behind his eyes. A heaviness descended upon his mind as fingers probed through his memories like slithering tentacles, prying for answers with meticulous scrutiny and without regard to the discomfort caused. “You must release her,” he pleaded without force, his voice lost within the gold pools of light.

  At first the exploring feelers were an inconsequential nuisance, like a sandfly buzzing about his face. But the strain compounded, doubling on itself until it became a thick, unbearable harmonic. He clamped his mouth shut and fought the urge to shout out in anguish.

  A thought popped into his brain, clear and unmistakable. A thought not his own.

  “You are the lifemate, the protector. Guard her well.”

  The Criton’s eyes flashed and a blinding light enveloped him and Carina in a cocoon. Unable to withstand the surge of energy raging through him, he yelled to the heavens and held onto Carina by sheer will. A heartbeat later, the brightness vanished taking his strength with it.

  Carina lay like a rag doll in his arms. After a quick check, relief flooded his body at her strong, steady pulse. He gathered her into his chest and carried her to the blanket on wobbly legs. Trying not to wake her, he laid her down and covered her with his duster before sitting beside her.

  He fisted his hands and grimaced in pain. His eyebrows furrowed at the swollen, red mark on the palm of his left hand. An impression he couldn’t decipher was emblazed on his skin. He reached for Carina’s hand. She too, had the burn.

  They’d been branded, but why? He was missing something obvious, but exhaustion clouded his mind. His remaining strength ebbed from his body on a quiet exhale. He glanced at the yellow Criton. She could easily kill them.

  As he lay beside Carina and pulled her into his chest, he spared the Criton one last look. She seemed content with whatever she’d done to them. He even thought her head bobbed in a gesture akin to satisfaction. Air buffeted him as hundreds of Critons hurtled themselves skyward, leaving the mountaintop empty except for FireStrike who had hobbled over to stand protectively over them.

  FireStrike’s wounds must not be severe, he thought before succumbing to the fatigue riding his body.

  39 – CALLER of LIGHT

  Marek’s palm ached, but he ignored it and encouraged FireStrike to land in front of the castle. Carina rode sidesaddle with her head pillowed against his chest. Her breathing remained steady, but her responses were sluggish as if she couldn’t wake from a deep sleep. He slid off FireStrike with Carina cradled in his arms.

  Damon raced up, concern etched across his face. “What happened?”

  “I’m not sure,” Marek admitted. “Find the healer, and have someone tend to FireStrike.”

  “Straight away, Sire.” Damon rushed off.

  He was reaching for the door when Nareen flung it open. She blocked the entrance. Her hands rested on her hips, and anger hardened her face. “This public display of affection is very inappropriate.”

  Fire flashed through Marek’s body. “Mother, remove yourself from my sight before I do something I regret.”

  Nareen’s face turned ashen. After a whispered apology, she retreated into the castle.

  He strode past Nareen and climbed the stairs two at a time. But the stairs he’d clambered up and down since childhood quickly transformed into giant stepping stones. By the time he reached the top floor, his lungs screamed for air and his legs trembled. He fought the urge to lean against a wall to catch his breath, and used his shoulder to push the chamber door open. He eased Carina into bed before wiping sweat from his brow, struggling to calm his racing heart.

  Carina looked so pale. His fingers trailed across her cheek, willing her to awaken.

  “Come back to me,” he murmured. But she didn’t heed his call. He was a king, a leader of his people, and a commander used to being obeyed. So, when she refused him, his body shook. Like Tiwan poison darts piercing his chest, his heart stumbled.

  He grabbed her hands and interlaced her delicate fingers within his. Her small bones seemingly so fragile, yet capable of so much strength. His beautiful Carina, the magnificent woman who challenged a fire-breathing Criton to save him, lay motionless and cold in his bed.

  He rushed to get a blanket. Although away from her for mere seconds, her body quaked by the time he returned. He covered her before caressing her face. “Shh, dear one. You’re safe. We’re safe.”

  Her eyes flew open and pierced him with an unseeing gaze before slipping shut again. “Marek,” she whimpered.

  “I’m here, luv.” He kissed her forehead.

  He was leaning over her when the healer burst through the door and pushed him out of the way.

  Damon and Caden stood at the entrance, offering silent support. Marek was about to dismiss them when his eyes lost focus and the room spun under
his feet. He reached for the wall to steady himself. What in Haden’s spit?

  Damon and Caden entered the room to assist, but he waved them away. When the dizziness subsided, he pushed off the wall to stand helplessly beside the bed.

  Carina struggled with the healer. Her eyes stayed closed. Her chest labored in shallow, panting breaths. Her whisperings remained the incoherent ramblings of the delusional.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Marek asked.

  The healer shook his head. “I don’t know. What happened?”

  “We were attacked by a large, yellow Criton.”

  “What?” Caden asked.

  Marek mistook the incredulous look on Caden’s face as disbelief and his blood boiled. “Aye,” he snapped. “An enraged female would’ve killed me if Carina hadn’t stepped between us. Then something happened—” Marek’s legs buckled.

  Caden grabbed Marek’s arm while Damon seized the other.

  “Sire, you should sit,” Damon insisted.

  Marek accepted their assistance into a chair. He too, was getting worse. He struggled to remember, but a fog had rolled across his mind zapping his ability to think. And the more he concentrated, the more the elusive threads of coherent thought danced deeper into the thick vapor.

  Carina’s mumblings rose. Only her voice could penetrate his confusion. He had to get to her, but his legs refused to work.

  Out of nowhere, Caden knelt in front of him. “Forgive me, Sire, but I must know. What did the yellow Criton do?”

  Marek stared at Caden. His body shuddered, but not from being cold. He concentrated on swimming through the haze so he could remember the only thread that mattered—Carina. “Her eyes glowed,” he whispered. “And we were surrounded by light.”

  He closed his eyes at the memory. “I was so tired. When I woke, the Critons were gone and Carina wouldn’t wake up.” Just speaking rendered him breathless.

  Caden reached for Marek’s arm, but Damon drew his sword and pointed it at the Tiwan. “You will not touch the king.”

  Caden remained kneeling and raised his hands in a non-threatening gesture. “Damon, I know you’re protecting your king, but if what I believe is true, then both Marek and Carina will die soon if we don’t take action.”

  Damon’s brown eyes narrowed. His face twisted with uncertainty. He glanced at the healer.

  The healer shrugged. “Magic is at work here. I might be able to bleed it out of her, but she’s already so weak, I fear bleeding would cause more harm than good.”

  “We must hurry,” Caden urged.

  Damon nodded, but kept his sword drawn as Caden grabbed Marek’s right wrist. Frowning, Caden reached for Marek’s left. Caden’s hands shook when he noticed the marking.

  Damon leaned forward to see the wound. “Looks like a burn.”

  “Carina’s right hand also has the mark,” Marek gasped. Breathing had become a battle, the simple inhale and exhale of air a crushing weight on his chest.

  Caden bowed his head and placed both hands on Marek’s knee. When he glanced up, tears rimmed his eyes. “Sire, you already have my loyalty, but henceforth, I pledge my tribe to your service.”

  Damon’s eyes widened. “But the Tiwan Tribe has never sworn an allegiance to anyone.”

  “That’s only because Tiwan Callers have always bonded to Tiwan men.”

  Damon shook his head. “What in Haden’s breath are you talking about?”

  “Carina is the Caller of Light and Marek, her bonded lifemate. Now, help me get the king to his bed so they can finish the bonding process.”

  When Damon hesitated, Marek nodded. “Do it, Damon…I must be with her.”

  As soon as Marek stretched out beside Carina, air that had been unobtainable moments before flooded his lungs. His heart stopped floundering and thumped in a strong rhythm, pumping blood through his body and feeding strength into his arms and legs. The fog in his mind dissipated. He slid an arm underneath Carina’s head and pulled her against his side. His heart swelled and throbbed with a dull ache because of the beautiful woman he held. His cure and salvation, she breathed life back into his dying body.

  His touch seemed to have a calming effect on Carina. She buried her head into the crook of his shoulder and draped an arm across his chest before settling into a deep sleep.

  The healer placed a blanket over them and straightened on his large frame. He crossed an arm over his rounded belly and cupped his chin with a meaty hand. His brows furrowed in concentration. “Sire, I don’t pretend to understand this. But unless you wish me to stay, I’ll check on you later.”

  Stroking Carina’s hair, Marek drifted on a plane of peaceful awareness and could have fallen asleep with everyone in the room. “Go,” he murmured so as not to wake her. The healer bowed and left.

  Both Caden and Damon turned for the door. Although Marek longed to close his eyes and let sleep wash over him, he needed answers. “Caden,” he called quietly.

  The men stopped. Damon looked at Marek for direction and Marek nodded, giving him permission to leave.

  “I’ll be outside if you need me, Sire.” Damon bowed before disappearing from the room.

  “What did the yellow Criton do to us?” Marek asked.

  Caden’s lean body moved with the fluid grace of his people as he walked over and settled into the chair Marek had just vacated. “Although Callers cannot Critonbond, they can bond with a lifemate. The yellow Criton who attacked you was the Criton Matriarch, Naya. Carina must have claimed you and Naya found you worthy because she sealed your bond. You are now Carina’s bonded lifemate.

  Marek shook his head. Sleep pressed on his body and lurked at the edge of his mind, but he was alert enough to know Caden had to be wrong.

  Caden persisted. “Sire, why did you choose Carina instead of her sister?”

  He shrugged. Carina mumbled at his movement, but he silenced her with a kiss to her forehead. “I’m not sure. I just couldn’t leave her.”

  Caden nodded. “Probably because the bond tie was already calling you, but you both didn’t realize it.”

  “How can Carina be the Caller?”

  “Because Carina’s mother was Alaine, the previous Caller. Alaine was the most powerful Caller we’ve ever known due to her strong bond with her lifemate.”

  Marek frowned. “No, your words cannot be true. Carina’s mother was a servant in King McKay’s household.”

  Caden bowed his head and sadness filled his voice. “I don’t understand why Alaine lied about her identity and why she didn’t try to find her way back to us. I only know that Alaine’s mate died in a battle against dark Criton riders and she disappeared. For two full cycles we searched for her, but finally decided that both she and her unborn child had been killed.”

  “How do you know Carina is Alaine’s daughter?”

  “Because she wears Alaine’s medallion, the symbol of the Caller. And more importantly, because she called Naya,” Caden answered with an awed reverence. “Untrained, yet she summoned the Criton Queen.”

  Sleep whispered in Marek’s ear, encouraging him to slip into its embrace like a lover’s kiss. The temptress called to him, ran soothing fingers down his body, and sang softly in his mind, commanding him into her care. He fought the desire. Until he knew what happened so he could protect Carina, he wouldn’t surrender to the luxury of sleep.

  “If she’s the Caller, why did the Matriarch attack us?”

  Caden leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, his long, blond hair shadowing his face. “The Matriarch would never attack the Caller. Something you did must have appeared threatening.”

  Caden raised his eyebrows, but Marek ignored his curiosity. When the Matriarch attacked, he’d been standing over Carina putting on his steel. Maybe Naya had misinterpreted his actions.

  He glanced at his palm. Except for some tenderness, the pain had subsided. “And our hands?”

  “Once Naya deemed you worthy, she used her power to mark you. Your brands are the same Criton heads that are o
n Carina’s medallion. Once the swelling subsides, when you hold hands your Critons will intertwine just like the necklace.”

  Caden stared at Marek for a moment. “Sire, it is a great honor to be chosen as the Caller’s lifemate. But, it can also be a great burden.”

  What burden? Marek thought, unable to voice his question. Sleep, the ever persistent seductress, refused to play fair and his body couldn’t resist her call.

  “Carina’s necklace now can be detached into two separate Criton medallions. The pendants enhance your power and will remain separate and distinct until one of you dies, then they’ll merge into one piece again.”

  “Why am I so tired?”

  Caden stood, preparing to go. “Naya forced powerful magic on you in order to leave her mark. The fact you are tired is good because that means you and Carina have a strong bond. Your bodies need time to absorb her magic, which can only happen when you two are touching.”

  Caden paused at the door. “You would’ve died if you had stayed apart because alone your bonds cannot absorb that enormous amount of energy.”

  Marek wrapped both arms around Carina and closed his eyes. Caden’s voice drifted over him.

  “One thing is certain. Carina is not just the next Caller. She’s an extremely powerful one.”

  Marek smiled. He wanted to tell Caden that she was so much more than just a powerful Caller, but had slipped into that relaxed just before sleep stage. Tiny sparks of heat shot through his body acting as a reminder of Naya’s magic. Silence blanketed him in a soothing tenderness. Now he understood his purpose in life and knew exactly where he was supposed to be—holding the woman who had captured his heart and soul. With a soft exhale, he yielded to the sorceress murmuring in his ear and joined his lifemate in the dream realm.

  40 – KINGS’ ARRIVAL

  Carina basked in the sun’s rays, the warmth restoring and rejuvenating her body. Practically lying on top of Marek with her head buried under his neck and his arms wrapped around her, she couldn’t imagine a better place to be. The light filtering into the room indicated they had slept a long time, but she didn’t have the desire or energy to move.