"We need to get this info back to Val ASAP," she said. With a groan, she stood from the bench where she'd settled down to read and stretched like a cat. Having been stooped over the table for so long had caused a cramp in her back and she could barely take a step.
Parth mumbled something under his breath and came up behind her.
"Hold still." Parth placed one meaty hand on her shoulder and the other in the small of her back. Before she could refuse, he applied pressure. Her spine popped like a balloon as pain shot through her body and into her skull.
"Are you trying to cripple me, behemoth?" Donna rounded on the Mlinzi and grabbed the front of his tunic. With all her might, she tried to shove the man backward, but he did not even waver. Storming out of the room, she let the door slam in Parth's face. As she climbed the stairs, Donna smiled to herself. Her back really did feel better. She was just pretending to be angry with the large Mlinzi, and had been curious to see if she could physically move the man. "Didn't even budge a centimeter," she said under her breath.
"With your size, you should not strike head on."
Donna jumped at the sound of Parth's voice. She had not heard him reach her side and it surprised her how quiet the huge man was.
"Unless you are fighting a child."
"Hey, I know more than you think, you overgrown gorilla." Not bothering to look back at him, she already knew he was rolling his eyes at her.
"You should strike at their weakest areas. Each creature has their own sensitive spots." Parth ignored her words and continued his lecture. "You must learn this if you wish to continue on your path."
"Or I'll die, huh?" She glanced over her shoulder at the Mlinzi and smiled. "Are you volunteering to teach me?"
"My orders are to protect you." Parth stared at her blankly. "It will be easier if you learn how to defend yourself."
"Ok, Parth, you're on. After my bath, we can hit the books." Donna gave a laugh, still finding it hard to believe she was on an alien planet, getting ready to take fighting lessons from a man who was part of an élite warrior race. On Earth, traveling with the aliens had seemed surreal, but now it seemed like she was in a dream. She wondered if she really was in a coma, connected to tubes in some hospital, trapped in her mind, instead of on an alien world.
Looking forward to immersing herself in the steaming pool to ease the tension from her body, Donna was thankful when she reached the apartment. Once she opened the door to the suite, however, all thought of the bath fled at the site before her. Ona stood over Gabby with a switch in her hand, while the girl laid prone over an ottoman. Ripped from neck to waist, the girl's dress hung off her shoulders, revealing her bare back. Covered with bloody welts, Gabby softly moaned in torment. The other women watched in glee as Ona brought the switch across Gabby's back, leaving another red welt across the girl's shoulders.
"What the hell are you doing?" Donna yelled at the woman in both shock and anger.
Ona only glanced at her in distain and struck the girl again. Gabby whimpered in pain as her small frame shook from the blow.
Storming over to Ona, Donna grabbed the switch with both hands. Using the moves she'd learned on the yacht, she twisted the woman until the stick smacked Ona in the face, causing a welt between her eyes and bloodying her nose. Donna released the servant with a shove toward the door. "Get the hell out of here, before I sic him on you." She pointed at the Mlinzi who took a step forwards in acknowledgement.
With only a glance at the large man, the three women hurried out the door as fast as they could.
"And don't come back," screamed Donna. "We don't need you."
"Some of the wounds are deep but she will heal." Parth was already kneeling before the prone girl to inspect her wounds before Donna reached Gabby's side. The large man withdrew a small jar from his cloak and started applying the ointment to the girl's bloody wounds. Gabby sighed in relief from the ill-smelling cream.
"What is that stuff?" Donna wrinkled her nose and frowned at the jar. She bravely stuck her finger in the gooey salve and felt her finger turn numb.
"It's a salve made from the Kupoa plant. It numbs the area and helps with healing." Parth peered at her with a slight smile. "Where did you learn how to disarm the old woman?"
"Thane taught me." She gave him a lopsided smile. "He said I had to learn how to protect myself because he wasn't going to do that for me."
Parth gave a soft chuckle and nodded in approval while he continued to smear the gooey substance on the girl's back. Once covered with the salve, they helped the shaking girl to her feet.
"Thank you," Gabby whispered, keeping her head bowed.
"Parth, can you be a doll and help the kid gather her things?" Donna frowned as she thought of the women pouncing on the girl again. "I don't want her near those bitches alone."
"Come girl, we don't have all day." Parth nodded his acceptance and tapped Gabby's shoulder.
Well, it seems he's not as hard as nails after all, Donna thought, smiling to herself at the gentleness of the huge Mlinzi towards the frail child as they headed out the door.
***
Lunch with her father was a pleasant affair. They both made an effort to bridge the gap between them. With her Gift, Valencia touched the Regent's hand often to send tiny streams of energy into his body. With each flow, Aeson became brighter and more alert. Her father seemed starved for her power, as if someone had been slowly draining him of his life force.
At first, she found it difficult to talk with her father and frequent pauses interrupted their conversation. Mostly, she listened to him talk of when she was a child. Occasionally, fragments of memory fluttered in her mind, but for the most part the events he spoke of were as alien to her as was the planet itself. After the meal was finished, they did not linger long. Valencia claimed fatigue from her journey. A smile founded on her lips when she spied Alana step out from behind a plant and follow silently behind her. A feeling of security flowed through her with the knowledge the Mlinzi were close by.
When she finally returned to her suite, Donna told her what had happened to Gabby. Anger swelled inside Valencia and she started to head back out the door to find the women and give them a piece of her mind, but Donna placed a hand on her arm to stop her from rushing out of the suite.
"You have more important things to worry about. Besides, Parth and Gabby should be back soon." Valencia glanced at her friend's hand and smiled. The human could not absorb her power, making her the only person she could trust.
"Okay, what did you find?" Valencia said, as she motioned Donna to a pair of lounge chairs and they pulled them together so they could sit and talk. Valencia leaned forwards to listen to her friend and saw Alana step closer to listen to their words. However, before Donna could speak, the door slid opened and Parth strolled into the living room, with Gabby in tow, each carrying a small box.
"Is that all you have, Gabby?" Donna asked, now focused on the girl and her lack of belongings.
"The child lived in destitution," Parth grumbled.
"Well, not anymore." Valencia smiled at the shy girl before turning back to Donna. "Okay, now that we're all here, tell me want you learned."
"At first, we didn't find a thing on the computers in the library, but Parth kindly asked the attendant to show us the written archives." Donna gave the huge Mlinzi a broad smile. "It took a while, but I was able to go back as far as five different Matka-Zems. There were remnants of history of older ones, but I will tell you of those later. As we all know, the last two got lost in their power. But what we didn't know was the last one, your mother, didn't even bond with Sora before she got trapped in her mind."
"What? How did that happen? Why didn't my father or a Mlinzi help her?" Valencia stared at her friend in puzzlement.
"Ah! That's the question, but let's get to that later." Donna pointed an index finger at her and gave her a lopsided grin. "Your grandmother lost her mind when she tried to perform this Batu with the planet. You mom was only twenty years old, your grandmother
was thirty. However, the Matka-Zem before her lasted one-hundred-fifty years." Donna raised an eyebrow and smiled again. "And you are not going to believe this . . ." Donna looked around, seemingly enjoying her storytelling as much as her audience did. Her voice dropped.
Valencia could see her reflection in Donna's brilliant, sapphire eyes.
"The one before that was over five-hundred-years old!"
"Five hundred? She lived that long?" Flabbergasted, her shocked expression reflected in everyone's faces. "How can that be?"
"And there were hints that the other Matka-Zems lived just as long, if not longer. Now the question is what happened to your great-grandmother that she only lived to one-hundred-and-fifty instead of five-hundred?"
"Donna, I hate riddles." Valencia said, anxiously awaiting the reason.
Both Mlinzi listened intently, while Gabby stood slightly apart, biting a fingernail. "Speak plainly. Do you know why?"
"Not a clue." Donna sat back and shrugged her shoulders. She shook her head in dejection. "I couldn't find a word as to why."
A collective disappointed sigh echoed around the room. Valencia glanced at the Mlinzi, but they only shook their heads.
"Don't you know?"
"We are warriors, not historians," Parth replied with a shake of his head.
"She died of a broken heart," a barely audible voice peeped from behind the Mlinzi. They all turned to see Gabby fidgeting under their gaze.
"Come here, Gabby." Valencia held out her hand toward the girl. Gabby gasped when she firmly grasped her wrist and pulled her forward. A faint blush touched the girl's cheeks, and her eyes grew wide in wonder as Valencia sent a small stream of the energy into her to calm her. "Now, tell us why."
"Because the Matka-Zem's mate died and she willed herself to join him," Gabby squeaked like a little mouse.
"How do you know this?" Alana's hand brushed the hilt of her sword in a threatening manner, symbolizing the punishment for lying. "There is no record of this."
"No one cares what I hear." Gabby looked at her feet, then lifted her chin and gave a soft smile. "I'll tell you what I know."
"Go ahead, spill the beans," said Donna.
When the male Mlinzi gave Donna a sidelong look, the human glared at him. "What? Don't you guys have idioms?"
"I overheard a woman saying the Regent's death was made to look like an accident. The Matka-Zem lost her desire to live and willed herself to die."
"You're not old enough to have heard rumors from that long ago, Gabby." Donna eyed the servant with disbelief.
Alana rubbed her chin in thought and said, "The Torpek are long-lived, Donna. It's very possible some still live who have witnessed this. How did you come by this information, Gabby?"
"It was a year ago when I was cleaning the rooms of the Torpek ambassador—" Gabby started, but Valencia interrupted.
"Lady Uzuri Zupan?"
"Yes," Gabby answered softly. "I've heard she is over one-hundred years old."
"Go on, girl. Get on with your story," said Donna, urging the servant to finish.
"She was talking to her son, Lord Liam Zupan, while I was cleaning." The young girl shyly looked at Valencia. "She was pleased how their family took control after the Matka-Zem lost the will to live when her mate died. Lady Zupan said she was angry that it took the Matka-Zem 50 years to succumb to depression. She laughed about how the other two Matka-Zem barely had enough power to make something grow, which allowed the Zupan family to remain in power. She was worried about you though." She gave Valencia a sorrowful glance. "I knocked something over and they made me leave, so I didn't hear the rest of their conversation."
"With the regency's death the Torpek took control." Alana shook her head in anger as she began to understand. "So that is how they did it." Valencia must have looked puzzled, so she elaborated. "Without the Regent to raise his daughter, the new Matka-Zem, the Torpek spoiled the child, your grandmother, while they controlled her power throughout Sora."
Parth said, "There are abandoned palaces throughout Sora. They must have traveled to the different realms, spending time in each, before the accident that killed the Regent." Parth shook his head and Valencia could see he was adding things up in his head. "But afterward that Regent died, the Matka-Zems never left this city."
Valencia listened closely, but one question kept bothering her.
"How come the Regents couldn't free the Matka-Zems?" she inquired, looking from one of them to another for an answer. "I'm also confused about how the Matka-Zem got pregnant when her mate was already dead."
"During the Kleben, the next Matka-Zem is conceived and lays dormant until it is her time to be born," said Alana, educating her. "During the child's birth, the spirit of the Matka-Zem leaves the mother and enters the new baby."
"Wait a minute! What is a Kleben? And do you mean to tell me I would carry a baby for as long as I live, then die giving birth to her?" She was dismayed at the thought. "I would never hold and raise my child?"
"The Kleben is when the Matka-Zem and her chosen mate intertwine their souls. During their first coupling, she gives her mate a portion of her Gift as they conceive the next Matka-Zem. During this bonding, the Matka-Zem and her mate's metabolisms change, slowing down the aging process, allowing them to live longer than normal lifespans. When a princess's life is near its end, the dormant girl child will begin to grow and the new Matka-Zem will be born. The Regent then will raise the next Matka-Zem until it's time for her to choose her own mate." Valencia gave a strangling sound in her throat that caused Alana to laugh. "But don't worry. You will be able to have male children, like any other woman. But the girl is held in a special area within you, awaiting her turn to be Matka-Zem."
"I don't like the idea of never raising my own daughter." Valencia grimaced at the thought of dying during childbirth.
"There can only be one Matka-Zem." Parth shrugged his shoulders.
"You sound just like Thane," Donna huffed, as she gave the Mlinzi a sour glance.
"Now explain why the Regents didn't help the last two Matka-Zem's out of their trance?" Changing the subject, Valencia concentrated on the mystery. Although she hated puzzles, she'd rather spend time solving one than thinking of her death.
"Their Kleben was weak." Gabby did not look up from her hands, but she continued to whisper. "They didn't connect during the Kleben and the Regents couldn't touch their minds to bring them home."
"But that's not true, Gabby. Thane touched my mind three times and we did not do this Kleben."
Gabby blushed while the Mlinzi looked grim.
"They are bonded together," Alana spoke softly, almost to herself.
"Impossible!" Parth grumbled to Alana. "Thane wouldn't allow that to happen."
"I saw our brother assist the princess with my own eyes, Parth." Alana proudly raised her chin and looked at Valencia. "They are bound together."
"But . . . we never . . . we didn't!" Valencia was dumbfounded. Her mind raced for an explanation and she remembered their kiss. "When I tried to heal his head wound, Thane kissed me, but that was all." She raised a hand to her mouth as she remembered how their lips fused together while their minds intertwined. Now she knew how the Mlinzi was able to get inside her mind. The full meaning of their kiss shocked her. "It was just a kiss."
"Well actually, Thane told me he did bond with you." Donna gave her a sheepish grin, "At least partially. You two have to have sex to complete the bonding."
"He told you? Why didn't you tell me?" She was not sure if she was more angry or disappointed in her friend.
"I promised not to tell you, but only on the condition that he would come clean." Donna gave her another sheepish grin. "And I thought he did. You too were acting like a pair of lovebirds when we left the cabana."
"Could he have stopped it?" She felt her innocence shatter at the news. Valencia felt violated. During the beginning of their journey, she had a suspicion Thane might have his own agenda for helping her, but she had grown to trust him. Now she reali
zed her initial instincts were right. He purposely and permanently connected them without her knowledge or consent . . . and it broke her heart.
"Yes, he could have rejected your Gift, but there must be a good reason why he didn't, Princess. Thane does not normally make mistakes," Parth replied, shaking his head. "It will be a sad day when our brother passes."
"What do you mean?" Her heart thumped painfully in her breast. "Passes—like in dying?"
"If you did not join together as one, then the Kleben wasn't completed and can be broken with his death," Alana whispered sadly.
"You mean Thane left to go sacrifice himself?" She felt the urge to bolt out the door and race after the Mlinzi. "He can't die because of me."
"If he doesn't, you can't choose your own mate." Parth peered at her through narrow eyes. "If you allow him to live, he will be your mate for life, Matka-Zem."
"We need to stop him." Valencia did not hesitate before she spoke. She was angry with the Mlinzi for his deception, but not enough to want him dead. The idea of Thane as her lifelong mate made her weak in the knees, and she promptly pushed the image of their first embrace from her mind. "I will not have his blood on my hands. We need to catch him before he does something . . ." She was so angry with him she could not think of the right word.
"Knightly . . . heroic . . . and incredibly romantic," Donna teased, with a huge smile on her pretty face.
"How about asinine, acting like a martyr, and incredibly stupid?" Valencia fumed in outrage. She tried to calm her brewing anger to think logically. "We need to rescue him as soon as possible."
"You can't leave, Princess, at least not tonight. There is a ball in your honor," Gabby spoke louder than ever before. "They will hunt for you when they discover you're gone. And if they catch you, you'll never leave this palace again."
Return of the Matka-Zem (The Sorain Chronicles) Page 22