The six lined up across the top step. Layla squinted as her eyes adjusted to the lower light level. She tried to get a bead on what was waiting for them down in the seemingly vacant arena. Before she could ask William anything, the floor beneath her began to vibrate, and the wall closed behind them.
Panic swamped Layla. She couldn’t help but feel like they were being buried alive. She gripped William’s hand and was sure she may have actually drawn blood, but in his usual steadfast manner, he stayed the course and remained the calm in the storm.
“William,” Kerry asked quietly from the right side of the stairs. “Did you do that?”
“No.” William’s jaw clenched, and he flicked his gaze to Layla. “Richard and the rest of the Council are the only ones who can control the environment within these walls.”
“Like I said, major suckage,” Samantha murmured.
“It’s game time,” Layla said in a strong, clear voice.
The six moved down the steep staircase at a slow and steady pace. As they got closer to the bottom, Layla took in every inch of the arena they were about to stand in. The floors and pedestals looked like they were made of smooth, white marble. Everything was pristine and put together so perfectly, it almost looked as if it had been carved out of one gigantic piece. There were no seams anywhere—it looked as if it was part of the same stone.
The closer they got to the bottom, the more invisible the outer walls became. When she stepped foot onto the snow-white floor and looked up to see how far they’d come, her breath caught in her throat. The walls, doorway, and ceilings had vanished, and they were surrounded by an inky black sky, dotted with what looked like millions of stars.
“Where the hell are we?” Layla breathed as she and the others looked around in awe.
A vaguely familiar female voice drifted through the cavernous room and into the recesses of Layla’s memory.
“You are home.”
Chapter 17
The room shimmered before their eyes, and seconds later the empty platforms were no longer vacant, and an exotic menagerie was revealed. Layla couldn’t help but think of Noah’s ark. Two members of each clan stood atop each platform, except for the last pair on the right—it was an elderly man and woman she could only assume represented the Vasullus. She gripped William’s hand for dear life as she took in the mind-blowing scene.
“Holy shit,” breathed Kerry.
Layla couldn’t help but agree with her sentiment. Tigers, panthers, wolves, bears, and falcons lined the left side of the space, and she noted that these animals were larger than any that would be found in the wild. Eagles, foxes, coyotes, cheetahs, and two humans stood on the opposite side and were equally imposing figures.
All of the Council members turned their glowing eyes onto the six visitors with razor-sharp focus, and their energy waves pulsed with strength that Layla hadn’t ever experienced. At the head of the arena sat two mammoth lions, and she knew that the male with the thick dark mane had to be Richard, the prince.
She braced herself against the onslaught of their power and willed herself not to pass out. She glanced at Kerry and Samantha and was relieved to see that they looked as stunned as she felt.
Her attention immediately went to the two cheetahs that stood next to the human couple, and an instant sense of belonging embraced her. She locked eyes with the smaller beast and knew that it was Bianca, her aunt—the woman manipulating her life.
“Hello, Bianca,” Layla said in a surprisingly strong voice.
Verto. Their collective voices cried out in unison and rang clearly through their minds. The cavernous space sparked with static electricity as all the Council members shifted into their human state. Enormous, polished black armchairs materialized behind them. They all sat regally without saying a word. She noticed that each had a gold ring on the right hand, just like the one Bianca used to create the wax seal.
Silence hung heavily in the air, and the tension grew with palpable force. As Layla’s eyes scanned the room, she knew with certainty that there were Purists staring back at her. She could practically taste their hatred. But which ones were they? She prayed that their plan would work and force the haters to come out into the open.
“Step forward, friends.” Richard’s deep voice boomed through the massive space as he waved them forward.
Layla studied the leader of the Amoveo. His long dark hair was the same color as his mane, but he had large blue eyes, which she suspected was unusual for a member of the lion clan. They smiled back at her brightly, and her nervousness eased.
In a black sweater and a pair of jeans, he was dressed more like a soccer dad than the prince of an ancient race. He radiated power and was one of the most beautiful men she’d ever laid eyes on. Based on his energy, Layla sensed he was an ally.
However, the blond woman to the right of him didn’t look as welcoming. Her glowing pale yellow eyes stared down with obvious disdain.
The walk to the other end of the arena felt like forever with the Council members tracking their every move in stony silence. She swallowed her fear and kept her sights set on Richard, the individual she was sure wanted to help.
They stopped about ten feet in front of Richard, and William bowed his head in deference to their leader. “Thank you for calling the Council together, my prince.” William’s cool, calm voice streamed steadily through the room. “We are honored that you accepted our request for a special meeting.”
“It would seem that it’s long overdue,” he replied as his bright blue eyes flickered over them but lingered on Layla. “After the unfortunate experiences suffered by Samantha and Kerry, I informed the Council members about the Purist activity and made it quite clear that prejudice of that nature would not be tolerated. I must admit that I was quite surprised to learn about you, Layla. I’m not a big fan of surprises.” His voice was edged with anger, and he leveled his stern gaze at Bianca. “Care to explain yourself, Bianca?”
All eyes turned to Bianca, who didn’t look a day older than she had almost twenty years ago. She was indeed the “social worker” who had brought Layla to Rosie’s farm. Tall and thin, her strawberry blond hair was swept up in an elegant French twist, and her glowing, golden eyes looked back lovingly at Layla. She was dressed impeccably in a dark skirt suit and reminded her of an attorney from Law & Order.
“Yes, my prince.” Bianca rose from her chair and clasped her hands in front of her. “Layla is the daughter of my brother, Francis. His mate was human, and although she was a gifted psychic, she was unable to handle the power of her gifts. Like many of her kind with unique abilities, she succumbed to madness, and eventually death. Francis had heard rumors of other hybrid children, and of the violence that had befallen their parents.”
Her voice, soft and melodic, floated over Layla like a warm blanket, and her heart tugged with unexpected emotion. William, sensing her need for comfort, pulled her into the shelter of his body, and stroked her arm reassuringly. He may have only been doing it out of duty, and when they left this place, he may never do it again, but she was grateful for it now.
Bianca’s eyes filled with tears as she turned to Layla. “He wanted nothing more than to raise you as his own, but he feared for your safety among our people,” she said in a quivering voice. “Francis was poisoned. We still don’t know who did it, and our healers tried to save him but nothing worked.” Her voice broke with emotion. “On his deathbed, he told me about you, and made me swear that I would find you and keep you safe.”
“Safe?” Anger and frustration clawed at Layla. “You have manipulated my life, lied to me, and moved me around like some pawn in a twisted game of chess.” Her eyes narrowed, and heat crawled up her back. “Would you mind telling me and the rest of us,” she said with a sweeping gesture to everyone, “exactly how you knew where to find a ‘safe house’ that just happened to have two other hybrid children living in it?”
“What?” The baritone voice boomed through the room, and Layla could swear she felt it to her bone
s. It was the male representative from the Bear Clan, and he was pissed. “There are safe houses for hybrids? This is treason! How dare you keep information like this from the Council?”
“Silence!” the prince shouted and stood. “Artimus, you will hold your tongue.”
Layla watched as Artimus’s bearded face turned red with anger. His eyes glowed jet black, and his thick, meaty hands balled tightly into fists. He said nothing but sat his hulking frame back into the chair. The woman next to him was younger and radiated a different energy. It wasn’t as thick or strong, and she looked oddly familiar.
“Artimus, please,” pleaded the young woman next to him.
“Shut up, Marianna,” he roared.
“I’d watch the tone you take with my sister.” Dante’s voice cut through the room and carried an unmistakable threat.
Sister? Layla looked from Dante to Marianna as she put it together. Marianna is the twin sister Kerry had mentioned, the one who took their father’s place on the Council.
“Is that a threat?” Artimus growled and flicked his hate-filled sights on Kerry. “Half-breed lover.”
Dante growled, and his eyes shifted to the eyes of his clan as Kerry held him back. “He’s not worth it.”
“Enough! I will have silence.” Richard glared at Artimus. “Do not forget your place.” He sat down and turned his serious eyes back to Bianca, who was staring wide-eyed at Artimus. “Answer Layla’s question, Bianca. I’d like to hear the answer myself. How did you know where to find this safe house?”
Layla held her breath, and you could hear a pin drop in the place as they all hung on every word. Bianca took a deep breath and gazed around the room. “There have been rumors that several men in Francis’s generation mated with humans. One was his childhood friend from the Timber Wolf Clan, James. They confided in one another about their unusual mates and heard rumors of others. When James was killed by the Caedo, Francis kept track of his mate and their twins, Raife and Tatiana.” She smiled at Layla. “Before my brother died, he told me where to find them.”
“Are there other safe houses?” Richard asked intently, and his eyes flickered bright blue. “Do not lie to me, Bianca.” Layla shivered from the threatening tone, and in that moment, there was little doubt of his strength.
“I have only heard rumors, your majesty.” She dipped in a low curtsy. “I swear it to you on the honor of the Cheetah Clan.”
“Honor?” Artimus spat. “What the hell would the Cheetah Clan know about honor? Your brother bred weakness into our race with a feebleminded human, and you helped cover it up.” He rose from his seat and glared at the six of them. “And these three—” He pointed at the men accusingly. “They disgrace their clans by doing the same damn thing with these half-breeds.”
“Artimus,” Richard warned. “Sit down.”
“No,” he bellowed. “I will not sit down. I am sick and tired of keeping my mouth shut, and so are the others.” He turned his dark eyes to Dante. “You know who had honor? Your father! Brendan gave his life to keep our race pure, free of human blood, and look what you did? You hooked yourself up with a half-breed.”
“You bastard,” Dante growled.
“What?” Marianna stood and looked frantically from Artimus to Dante. “You said Daddy died protecting Samantha!”
“Ha!” Artimus laughed loudly and leered at Samantha as Malcolm pushed her securely behind him. “Protecting her? He wanted to wipe her off the face of the earth. Your father died honorably trying to snuff out the half-breeds before they could spread like a disease through our people.”
“Dante, is this true?” she pleaded. “Daddy was a Purist?”
“Yes,” Dante replied. “I didn’t want you to know what he’d done and how he shamed our family.” His features softened. “I’m sorry, Marianna.”
“The only thing you should be sorry about is mating with that thing,” Artimus spat.
A bone-shattering roar ripped through the room, silencing everyone.
Richard had shifted into his lion and stood on the platform, looming largely over the room. His magnificent mane framed his glowing blue eyes, and his muscular, feline body covered in tawny fur dwarfed the woman sitting next to him.
No one moved.
I will not tolerate further outbursts. Richard scanned the room, his head moving almost imperceptibly as his powerful voice touched their collective minds. I have long suspected that there was dissension on the Council, but I prayed I was wrong. If our race is going to survive, we must embrace this evolutionary change, or we will die out. Pure-blooded Amoveo mates seem to be fewer and fewer with each generation, and if we do not learn to adapt, then it will be our undoing. He sat on his haunches, and his long tail curled around him. I will ask this question only once. Is there anyone else on this Council who shares the same opinion as Artimus?
“I am not alone.” Artimus stood and whispered the ancient language. The chair behind him vanished as he shimmered and turned into the most enormous grizzly bear that Layla had ever seen. Artimus stood on his hind legs, swiped his massive, clawed paws outward, and bellowed into the air. We will not allow you to muddy our ancient bloodlines and permit the destruction of our people.
In a rush of static electricity the room erupted with roars, growls, screeches, and the haunting howl of a wolf as the rest of the Purists revealed themselves in a chorus of dissent. William, Dante, and Malcolm pulled their mates into their arms and looked around in horror. Artimus was most definitely not alone.
In addition to Artimus, both members of the Falcon and Eagle Clans screeched their objections, the females from the Coyote and Arctic Wolf Clans both growled down at them, hackles raised with clear disdain, as did the male representatives from the Fox, Tiger, and Panther Clans. The last to shift was the female representative from the Lion Clan, the one who’d been shooting Layla daggers from the moment she’d walked in.
The tension was dangerously high as the Council members still in their human form stood to face the others. Layla glanced at the Vasullus family members, and to her surprise, they remained seated and oddly calm amid the anxious situation.
Richard jumped to his feet and snarled at the lioness next to him. Traitor. His voice rumbled low and menacing.
Veronica growled and crouched low, with her tail switching behind her. You are the traitor, she hissed. What kind of a leader allows his people to destroy themselves and knowingly weakens their race? If it were up to you, we’d all breed with humans, until we were nothing more than they are—weak and pathetic.
Your time is over, Richard, Artimus bellowed. The true believers, the pure-blooded Amoveo, follow me now. You can keep the half-breeds and your theories of evolution, because the only one who is going to be extinct around here is you.
William’s body tensed, and just when Layla thought that it was going to be World War III and fur was going to fly, the Purists uttered the ancient language and vanished into thin air.
***
William’s heart thundered in his chest as he held Layla’s shaking form in his arms. She was spooked, and he couldn’t blame her. Dante and Malcolm clung tightly to their mates as well and exchanged concerned looks with William. The arena had gone hauntingly quiet, and the sight of the abandoned platforms made his heart sink. Only half the Council members remained.
Richard shimmered, shifted to his human form, and cursed loudly. William watched as his wife, Salinda, who was heavy with child, went to his side and wrapped her arms lovingly around him, sobbing against his chest. Her fellow Tiger Clan member had left with Artimus and the others. William didn’t know what was worse. The Amoveo divided as a whole or the clear division within the clans themselves.
“Your Highness.” It was David Vasullus who finally broke the silence. “You should know that you have the full support of the Vasullus family.” His somber gaze wandered over them. “We know what it’s like to lose our mates or to not find them at all. You three men are lucky to have found your other halves. Hybrid or pure-blood… a mat
e is not a gift to be squandered.”
The elderly woman next to him stood and linked her arm through his. “I always thought Artimus was a troublemaker,” she said through sympathetic pale blue eyes. “I know this is difficult, Your Highness, but it’s better this way.”
“Better, Georgina?” Richard asked incredulously, while he cradled his wife in the crook of his arm. “The Council has dissolved, and it looks like we have a civil war on our hands. How on earth is this better?”
“At least now, our enemies are out in the open.” Layla’s voice cut into the conversation, and William looked at her with pride. “The lines have been drawn, and it’s time for people to choose a side. No more hiding or wondering where people stand.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Georgina said with a wink to Layla. “She’s right, Your Highness. It’s much easier to fight the enemy if you know who they are.”
Bianca stepped down from the platform and made her way to William and Layla, who stiffened at her approach. He touched her mind with his. It’s going to be alright.
“I’m so sorry, Layla.” Bianca’s light brown eyes were filled with sadness. “I wish there had been another way, but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. I hope you’ll forgive me and your father for keeping you in the dark for so long.”
Layla said nothing but shrugged.
“He loved you, you know.” Bianca smiled, and one large tear rolled down her face before she could brush it away. “More than anything, he wanted to keep you safe long enough to find your mate, so you could explore your full strength and know true happiness.” She flicked a glance at William. “I’m so glad that he found you.”
William’s throat tightened with emotion, and he brushed his hand down Layla’s back. She was here, but for how long? Would she ever truly give herself to him and be his mate in the true fashion of the Amoveo, or would she refuse?
“Bianca.” Layla stilled in his arms, and he watched as Bianca braced herself for what Layla was going to say. “I have to thank you for bringing me to Rosie’s farm. I’m still not convinced that lying and hiding things the way you did was right.” She let out a slow breath and stuffed her hand in the pocket of her jeans. “But the truth is, for all the lack of control I’ve had over my life, the craziness and uncertainty… growing up on the farm with Raife and Tati really was a gift. So thank you for that.”
Untamed (The Amoveo Legend 3) Page 24