by Mia McKimmy
“Also,” Elle continued. “I’m sure he told Riana someone was sick or hurt to get her to follow him to that cell. For her to walk out of here with Vind, he must have threatened to harm someone. The only way he could’ve done that from a cell, is through those two.” Elle’s voice dropped an octave and tears glistened in her eyes. “As long as I can remember, Riana’s been more than my friend. She’s my family. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that she wouldn’t think twice about sacrificing herself for someone else. We have to find her.”
Elle straightened, her gaze bouncing between Cy to Oz. “Don’t even think you’re going to stop me from helping. I’m one of the top investigators in the United States, and I know her better than any of you.”
Cy gave Elle an arched stare. His gaze shifted to Oz and found him doing the same. Cy shrugged. “We may as well let her. She might actually help.”
“She’s not a trained Protector, and we don’t have time to keep an eye on her every second,” Oz added. “If she gets herself killed, Riana will never forgive us.”
Elle threw her hands in the air. “Why does everyone keep saying that?”
“Probably because you’re an over-confident blow hard,” Kam said. “Just because you can beat up a human, doesn’t mean you stand a chance against a feeder. And that, dear Blondie, will get you killed.”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about me, dimwit. Riana knows you’d have to lock me up to keep me from searching for her.”
“Don’t give me any ideas,” Oz said. “Now, you two zip it, and put as much effort into finding our girls as you do in criticizing each other.”
Cy put his hands on the desk and leaned over the frozen picture of Riana’s face. With his heart in his throat, questions flooded his mind. Why hadn’t he woken her this morning and told her goodbye, told her how much he loved her? How could he lose her now? After a life-time alone, he’d only had her for a few short weeks. This was his fault. He’d known claiming her as his life-mate would put her at risk. But he loved her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
I’m a selfish bastard.
His head drooped forward and his eyes closed. Visions of what Vind would do to Riana played a constant loop in his mind. Fear seized his chest until his breath felt tight, and he staggered from the weight of it.
Oz put his arm around Cy’s waist and steadied him. “You okay?”
Cy raised his head and looked at Oz, unshed tears blurring his vision. “We have to find her, Oz. I can’t lose her.”
“I know son, me either. We will, but we have to keep a level head. If we go in guns a blazing, Vind won’t hesitate to kill them both.”
Chapter 25
Riana nudged Lily and swept the hair from her face.
She sat up and threw her arms around Riana’s neck. “I thought you were dying. You didn’t move for a really long time.”
“I’m all right, Lily. Are you okay?”
She nodded and held Riana tighter. “Where’s Kyra? I want to go home.”
Tears flowed down Lily’s pale cheeks, as Riana explained why they couldn’t leave and go back to the compound. She rocked Lily in her arms. “I will find a way to get you back home, Lily. I promise.”
Lily wiped tears on her sleeve. “Kyra and Cy will come and get us. They love us. They won’t let that stupid, old man keep us here.”
“Yes, they will, baby, but you have to promise me something. We need to be careful. You know how dangerous feeders are. Vind is their leader and he’s extremely dangerous. If we don’t do as he says, or he catches us trying to escape, he’ll be mad and punish us. We don’t want that, do we? So we can’t do anything to upset him, okay?”
“I promise,” Lily whispered.
They both jumped at a sudden knock on the door. Keys rattled and Ms. Rizzo came in holding a garment bag. “These are Miss Lily’s clothes for dinner. Would you like for me to lay them out for you?”
“No, I’ll do it.”
Ms. Rizzo stared at Lily. Her raven black hair and eyes made her skin appear pallid.
If she’s waiting for an introduction, it’s not happening.
“Will that be all?” Riana snapped.
“Yes, madam.” She lowered her head and backed out of the room.
“Who was that?”
“She’s no one, sweetie. Just someone who works here.”
Riana opened the bag, removed a pink chiffon dress and held it up.
Lily’s nose crinkled. “Yuck. I don’t wear pink, or dresses, especially ones with ruffles.”
“Honey, I don’t think we have a choice. We don’t have our own clothes and this is all you have.”
Riana went to the closet. Her mouth fell open at the sheer number of dresses, evening gowns, pants, tops, jeans and sweaters. She flipped through the wardrobe and checked the sizes. Everything, even the shoes and boots were in her size. He really did plan to keep her here. Her fingers curled around the choker. If she couldn’t figure a way to get that thing off her neck, there would be no escaping…at least for her. Until then, she’d concentrate on getting Lily out of there.
After they dressed for dinner the butler came to escort them to the dining room. They left her room and followed Alpheus down a long, wide hallway with walls made of smooth stone. A never-ending battle scene was carved into the walls. At the beginning of the mural, it depicted men fighting on foot and horseback. The further they went the more advanced the fighting became. The scenes progressed from men with swords, then guns, from ships to tanks and planes. Endless battles depicted men slain in every way imaginable. By the time they reached the end of the long hallway, Riana’s heart was heavy from the weight of the violence. Who could stand to surround themselves with all this violence?
Someone as evil as Vind, that’s who.
The hall ended at a white marbled staircase. They were eye level with an enormous chandelier hanging at least twenty foot above the foyer. Alpheus led them down the elaborate stairs, which widened at the end. To the right of the foyer they entered a large dining room. In the center of the long rectangle shaped room sat a formal dining table that looked as if it would seat at least a hundred people. Floor to ceiling stone fireplaces covered each end of the room. A small table with three place-settings sat in front of the fireplace at the far end.
Alpheus seated them at the small table. “Master Vindius will be in momentarily.”
After he left, Riana walked over to one of two large tapestries that covered the walls on each side of the room. They depicted scenes of mountains, oceans with silver sand on moonlit beaches, and sunsets. They resembled the pictures of Sivadia she’d seen in class.
“This is my favorite room in the castle,” Vind said.
Riana’s nerves jumped beneath her skin at his sudden appearance.
He stood in the doorway watching her. “Those were made from actual photographs taken on Sivadia. No one born on Earth has ever seen anything as beautiful as the world we came from. It is rare to find anything that can compare to its beauty.”
Riana hadn’t heard him move, but she turned and he stood only inches away. He stared at her, not the tapestry. She cringed, curled her lip, and trudged around him, and then returned to the table.
Alpheus came in with a serving dish. He went around the table and ladled a pink liquid into each of their bowls. Riana stiffened, wondering what they were about to be forced to eat. Before she could say anything, Lily blurted. “What is that?”
“It is your appetizers, Miss Lily,” the little man replied. “It is cold strawberry soup. I believe you will like it.”
Lily eased her spoon into the bowl and took a sip. Her face lit up. “Mmm, that’s yummy. Can I have more?”
“We have other food coming,” Alpheus said with a twinkle in his gray eyes.
Vind smiled at the older man. Something Riana hadn’t known he was capable of doing. And what was that emotion in his eyes? Respect? Love? No, she was positive he didn’t possess that ability. But it was obvious he thoug
ht highly of his butler.
“It pleases Alpheus to have someone to cook for,” Vind said, as the older man left the room. “I seldom eat at home. I’m usually busy running my army.”
Anger shot through Riana at the mention of his army. Thousands of lives had been sacrificed to feed his…so called army. He wanted this household to look normal, and maybe it did to someone who didn’t know better.
But I am not one of those people. Her anger escalated as she remembered the times she and Cy exchanged blood. She’d witnessed first-hand what kind of murdering psychopaths Vind and his army were.
“You mean you’re too busy running human slaughter houses to feed your army, don’t you?” she snapped.
A red fury swept across Vind’s face. “You would do well to remember that I am the ruler here. You are going to be my mate, and you will show me respect.”
Riana’s skin prickled with warning as a wave of dark energy rippled through the room. She ignored it, leaned toward Vind, and lowered her voice so Lily wouldn’t overhear. “I may be forced into a marrying you, but I will never be your mate. My heart will always belong to Cy. As far as respect goes, that’s really not going to happen. You would do well to remember I’m not afraid of you. I’ve been trained to defend myself against the likes of you. When it comes to protecting that little girl over there, you will have to kill me to stop me.”
Vind arched one dark brow. “Trust me, that can be arranged.”
Although she probably should have, Riana didn’t take his threat serious. He wouldn’t kill her until he got bored with his game of revenge, or got the heir he kept talking about. Bile rose in her throat, and she pushed the soup away.
“Riana,” Vind growled. “Do not make the mistake of trying to take me down. How many times do you think I’ve been challenged throughout my life? And how many times do you think I have lost those challenges?”
Her lips thinned and she projected every ounce of disgust and hatred she had for him. She didn’t need to voice it. Emotions were stronger than words.
“I am a predator, Riana, much like the shark, which is driven by need and hunger.”
She released a derisive snort. “You don’t have to kill to stay alive. Every being on Earth has a will to live. They have the same right to live as you. Especially humans. Earth is their planet, not ours. Ours was taken by a species that thought the same as you. They were the stronger species, forcing our people to leave or be fed upon. Because you’re among the stronger species here, it does not make what you’re doing to humanity right. If you can’t understand that, then you are no better than the Haagons.”
Vind rose from his chair so fast it flew into the wall. He grabbed Riana by the hair and jerked her head to the side, revealing her neck. “I warned you not to push me.” His voice was low and guttural. “I will drain you where you sit, right in front of the child.”
Her stomach retched as heat from his breath hit her neck. She had pushed him to the edge. If she uttered a word or moved a muscle, she wouldn’t walk away from this table.
The swinging door from the kitchen sounded in the room. It had to be the butler coming back in to serve their entree. Maybe it would distract Vind enough not to kill her.
Vind’s grip loosened in her hair and he straightened to his full height. He turned, stalked over to pick up his chair and sat back down at the table.
Riana breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Lily’s pale face. Her wide eyes were filled with tears and her face was wet. Riana reached over and pulled Lily into her lap. “Everything is okay, sweetheart.” As Riana rocked Lily in her arms, a curtain of hair fell across her. Lily tunneled beneath its length. As if her hair was a shield that could protect her.
“Can you finish your food, sweetie.”
Lily wiped her face and sniffled. “I’m finished.”
Riana’s body felt as if fifty pound weights were tied to each limb. Her head hurt and she was angry this happened in front of Lily. She’d asked Lily not to antagonize Vind. Then she did the opposite. If Vind had killed her, Lily would have been next. She had to control her fear and subsequent anger. At least until she found a way for Lily to escape.
The butler started removing their plates. “Alpheus,” Riana said. “Would you mind escorting us back to our room?”
He glanced toward his boss. Riana refused to look at Vind, but he must have nodded, because Alpheus replied, “Yes, madam, it would be my pleasure.”
Chapter 26
Cy and Oz headed back to his office to contact the League of Protectors about Vind’s escape. They would give every chapter throughout the world a description of Riana and Lily. It was a long-shot, but sweeping the minds of humans had proven to be a valuable tool for leads in the past.
They entered through Cy’s apartment. The sight of his mother’s body lying on the floor sent Cy’s heart into his throat with the speed of a 747.
“Mother!” He picked up her limp body and laid her on the couch.
Cy grabbed the phone and called Doc Regan. At nearly eight hundred years old, he was beginning to slow down physically, but still as mentally competent as the day he’d come to Earth. The doctor answered on the first ring.
“This is Cy. I need you to get to my quarters, fast. The queen is here. I found her on the floor, unresponsive. Please hurry.”
“I’m already on my way,” Doc Regan replied
Oz had disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with a wet towel and laid it across the queen’s forehead. “Can you tell what’s wrong with her?”
“No.” Cy wiped her face and neck with the towel, attempting to bring her around. She looked pale and fragile. But her stillness frightened him most. She normally moved with the liquid grace of a queen, and was the strongest female he’d ever known. His heart ached at the thought of losing her.
“Is everyone I love going to be taken from me?” he groaned.
Relief ran through Cy when Doc Regan came through the door. He watched anxiously while the doctor checked her pupils and vital signs.
As his hands moved over her scalp, he glanced at Cy. “Did you see any wounds or blood when you moved her?”
“No, nothing.”
“We need to take her to the infirmary so I can run some tests. It appears she’s in a deep sleep from some type of sedative. She’s exhibiting the same signs as the unconscious guards found earlier. I’ll know more after a body scan and blood-work.”
Cy glanced at the tea he had poured his mother earlier. “Hold on one second, Doc.” He went over to the table and grabbed the cup and his heart sank. It was almost empty. He handed the cup to the doctor. “If you check this, I believe it will contain whatever’s in her system.”
Doc Regan’s brows rose. “How did she get hold of the drugged tea?”
“Vind,” Cy said bitterly. “It was meant for me. I hope his intent wasn’t to kill me.”
“Me too. Come along Cy. We must hurry.” Concern etched the doctor’s voice.
“I’ll go make those calls and be right there,” Oz told them.
Cy picked up his mother’s limp body and carried her in his arms like a sleeping child.
Doc Regan placed the wet towel across her forehead and eyes so no one would recognize her. He had known them on Sivadia, and was aware Cy’s mother was the queen.
After they arrived at the infirmary, Cy laid his mother on an examination table. The doctor gathered supplies and started to draw her blood. “Doc, I need to make some calls. I’ll be right outside the door. Yell, if you need me.”
“Okay,” the doctor mumbled, distracted as he inserted the needle into her vein.
Cy pulled his phone from his pocket when an unidentified number appeared on the screen. He started not to click over, but with everything that’d happened in the past hour, he re-thought that idea.
“Hello.”
“Brother,” Vind said, the word dripping with sarcasm. “I hoped you were awake. I thought you might like to know how our girls are doing. Well, they’re not really yo
urs anymore, now are they? Let me amend that, how my girls are doing.”
Cy’s body went rigid and his teeth clenched tight. “So help me Vind, if you harm one hair on either of them, I will rip you to shreds. And, you better pray mother survives whatever was in that tea.”
“What on earth does mother have to do with anything? Vind asked.
“Because it was she who drank the tea, not me.”
“Oh, not to worry, brother, she’ll be awake before long. I wasn’t trying to kill you. I’m enjoying myself way too much to end your life so early in the game.”
“If you’ve done all this as some twisted way to torture me, then set them free and I’ll turn myself over to you. You have my word. You can torture me all you want, and no one else gets hurt.”
“How absolutely selfless of you, Cy.” Vind’s voice filled with derision. “You were ever the good son. But, all in good time, little brother, all in good time.”
“Vind, this is between us. They’re both innocent in this war.”
“No one is innocent in this war. Especially not Riana.”
“What do you mean by that? She’s done nothing.”
“Au contraire! She committed the ultimate sin, by agreeing to become your wife. However, now she will become mine. I only called to let you know we will be married and expecting our first child long before you even begin to locate her—which by the way, you never will. Not to worry though, I’ll be sure to send pictures.”
Fear for Riana sparked through Cy like a flame igniting a fuse. As he realized the reason for this call, he attempted to control his emotions. Even when they were kids, Vind enjoyed nothing more than torturing him, physically and mentally. This way, Vind could do it without laying a finger on him.
“Listen, Vind, I know how much you’re enjoying this, but I don’t have time to listen to your bullshit. But, just so you know, I will find them. And when I do, I’m going to end you. You’ll never harm anyone again.”