Soul Awakened

by Jean Murray

  With blood and sacrifice his brother had earned the position of Commander of the Legion. Bakari had no designs on disrupting that, despite their differences. Toben turned to leave, but stopped to look over his massive shoulder. “What if I would have said otherwise?’

  “You and I would not be friends.”

  “Friends indeed, Death god.” Toben laughed deep and low. “Friends indeed.”

  Bakari glanced at Sin, who abandoned his female to assist him, if needed. To his right several of the fledglings had moved closer. He was grateful for the reinforcement. Bakari sat and Sin joined him.

  “You have caught the attention of Toben. Not an easy thing to do.”

  Bakari grunted. “Who is he?”

  Sin laughed. “He only commands two of the four auxiliaries in the legion. Very outspoken, but well respected for his extensive battle history.”

  “Do you think I am being setup?”

  “Hard to say. He has served the legion for a millennium. Although, Toben has been known to disagree with the Commander.”

  Bakari finished his wine. “We are going to need training blades and shields.”

  “We?” Sin’s eyes brightened.

  “Yes, all of us.”

  “Finally!” Sin signaled the female passing drinks. “Bring a round, love.”

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  The fresh air hit Bakari in the face. Sin and the rest of the fledglings shoved each other around in their drunken roughhousing. None of them held any rank or position, but Bakari for the moment would not want it any other way. These were his brothers on a level that he never would have appreciated before his kidnapping. Although paid in blood and pain, it was a wonderful new perspective.

  He glanced over to the palace in the distance. Was Kendra sleeping? Researching? Eating? What he would not give to sit there with her and watch. Did she like wine? What was her favorite colour? He knew none of these, but wanted the chance to find out.

  Her sister, Kit, was right. He needed to get his shit together. Up to this point he subsisted, but that was not enough. He clutched the flashlight in his pocket. The cold metal resonated a new meaning of hope. The chance to make things right.

  His memories drifted to the warmth of her body against his. She had opened herself up to him, damning his last reserves to abstain. Her blood fed his entire being, healing the physical and mental damage inflicted by Kepi. It awakened a part of him he thought dead and gone. To find pleasure in a woman again after being at Kepi’s hands was a miracle. A miracle he would like to repeat. The pleasure that had racked Kendra’s small frame and the pink blush of her cheeks tightened his groin.

  The draw to be with her again burned in his chest. This time he would earn her affection. To be worthy of such a gift. Not an easy task, considering his history. His hope faltered. One thing was certain, Bomani would not allow him to see her again. It killed him knowing he had the power to materialize feet from her, but he was a warrior under his brother’s command. If he had any hopes of regaining his honor, he had to obey Bomani.

  Sin stumbled and knocked into him. Bakari grabbed his fellow warrior under the arm to steady him.

  “Sorry,” Sin slurred.

  “You need to learn how to hold your liquor.”

  “Why would I want to do that?”

  Bakari laughed. He did not realize he had until all of the warriors turned to stare at him. Even Sin was speechless, but that never lasted long.

  “I must be drunk, if I heard you laugh.”

  “Shut up.” Bakari pushed Sin to his feet. He genuinely smiled with the lightness reflected in his soul. The group of men laughed and started roughhousing again. Sin grabbed him around the chest and pinned his arms at his sides. Bakari easily broke his hold and shoved him away. “Do not push your luck.”

  Although Sin meant no harm, the sense of being restrained made Bakari ill at ease. He shook off the feeling to recapture the light hearted moment. These were his friends, he reminded himself.

  Sin stumbled and landed on his ass. He rolled on the ground laughing.

  “You are a sorry sight, brother.” Bakari smiled and held out his hand for Sin to take.

  “Having fun,” growled a voice from the darkness.

  Bakari frowned, the lightness in his chest evaporated. He yanked Sin to his feet and pushed him toward the group of fledglings. Bakari would face his brother alone.

  “Commander.”

  Bomani stepped out of the darkness. His eyes matched the color of his black skin. Hatred radiated off him in waves of frigid air.

  Bakari diverted his eyes to the ground. He knew his place. His relationship with Kendra had no place here, although it was the very reason Bomani stood before him. His brother had always had some level of hatred toward him, but not to the extent of the murderous gaze that locked on him now.

  “You think you really belong among the rest of these warriors?” Bomani grabbed Bakari’s wrist with his steel fingers. His brother jerked Bakari’s arm up, bringing the scorpion hieroglyphic into view. “You do not. You have earned your warrior tattoos under false pretenses.”

  Bomani slammed his fist into Bakari’s chest. Despite the incredible amount of force behind it, Bakari took only one step back.

  Toben and the rest of the warriors had filtered out of the great hall. Bomani stabbed a finger at Bakari and addressed the group of dark warriors that had gathered.

  “He is not one of us. He is a fucking traitor to everything we stand for.”

  Bakari gathered his strength and looked up into the faces of the crowd. He had no apology. His brother spoke the truth, at one point he had been. At one point, but not now.

  “He is right,” Bakari spoke up. “I do not deserve this life, but I am here regardless. I cannot change what I have done, only live with the consequences. Take responsibility for what I have done.” He raised his arms. “I am done hiding and will face your judgment, scrutiny and hatred, if need be.”

  His brother bared his teeth. “You think it is that easy. All is forgiven?”

  Bakari looked straight into his brother’s hard gaze. “No, I do not. I am not asking for your forgiveness.”

  “Good, because what you have done is unforgiveable.”

  Toben scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. His glare rested on his Commander. A murmur erupted through the crowd.

  “You may be right,” Bakari agreed, “and I accept you will never forgive me, but those I have wronged will decide for themselves, although I would never ask it of them. I only ask for the opportunity to make the right choices and find my honor.”

  “You speak of something you have no concept of.”

  “I am learning. I want to learn.”

  “Like hell you are.”

  “Can you not see past your own hatred, brother?”

  “Hatred has nothing to do with this.” Despite Bomani’s statement, the venom dripped from his words and hung in the air around them.

  “When you agreed to have me here, you expected me to fail,” Bakari said with revelation. His brother wanted him to fail. Crawl into the hole of his own darkness and disappear.

  Bomani’s silence only sealed the fact.

  “Is hatred part of your code of honor you hold so dearly?” Bakari spat. His brother had always carried his honor as a shield of superiority when they were younger, rubbing it in Bakari’s face every chance he got. Now that shield had holes. The dark warriors’ attention shifted to their Commander. Their murmurs grew louder.

  “Do not believe a fucking word he says. He is a master of the silver tongue of lies. He killed three of our brothers,” Bomani shouted.

  Bakari refused to hang his head. He readied himself for the backlash, but it never came. Instead silence filled the space between them—a victory he did not desire.

  Bomani’s eyes widened. “Did you not hear what I said? He killed our brothers.” His brother whirled around to face him with fists clenched.

  Bakari recognized the red fire in Bomani’s eyes. The
demon they all carried had little reasoning or control. His brother would fight him to the death, a fight that Bomani had no chance of winning against the god whose gift owned it. He would be forced to use it to protect Kendra’s life. The outcome was unacceptable.

  Bakari dropped to his knees. He would not challenge Bomani’s authority any further. It was wrong to let it go on this long. “It was wrong of me to question you, Commander. You are right.”

  Bomani stared at him, stunned by his submission. All but Toben and the fledglings turned their back to Bakari.

  He was the outcast once again, but one step closer to finding honor.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  “What game are you playing,” Bomani hissed, still suspicious of Bakari’s motivation. His brother submitted to him. A god submitting to a warrior. It reeked of deception. His brother dared question his honor in the presence of the legion then suddenly kowtow to him.

  Bomani was no fool. He could see his warriors’ allegiance falter in those minutes. Bomani would not be so easily put out, not at the hands of his traitor brother.

  Bakari was right about one thing. Bomani hated him with all the acid that boiled in his veins. Memories of seeing Kendra’s neck and the puncture marks fed it to a new level.

  His brother remained quiet. Eyes to the ground.

  “Do you think I cannot see what you are trying to do? Turn my own legion against me.”

  “What?”

  Bomani stopped, registering Bakari’s sincere surprise. Toben shook his head in disapproval. Disapproval for who he wondered suddenly. Him or Bakari?

  Bomani looked around at all the hard faces who turned to stare at him. He tried to blink away the rage that colored his vision red, hoping he had misinterpreted the crowd’s hostility directed toward him. Did they not see his reasoning? His brother was a traitor and they would dare accept Bakari’s word over his, their Commander’s?

  He had been confident that Bakari would have challenged him. His brother’s unexpected acceptance of his authority, stoked the already burning fury that consumed his chest. Bakari had robbed Bomani of his moment to expose him for whom and what he really was. The enemy to be hated by all.

  Toben stepped forward. “I think this has gone far enough. He has submitted to you, there is nothing left to be done.”

  Bomani squared off to face one of his most senior officers. He felt the hole he had dug himself get bigger, but he could not let it go. “Nothing left? He needs to pay for his sins.”

  “He has and will. As we all do.”

  “Not I,” Bomani growled.

  “Then you are the only one here that is beyond reproach.”

  Silence fell among the crowd. Bomani stood stunned at the realization the warriors on some level identified with Bakari. Fools, all of them to think Bakari could redeem himself. Conversely, Bomani had lived an honorable life from the start. Living by a code that infused every aspect of his being, and now the other son, the sinner, was being elevated above him gaining respect of the warriors. And worse, winning the woman he loved. Was there no fairness in the world?

  Bomani spat on the ground next to Bakari. “Then you can have him. Do not come complaining to me when he stabs his daggers into your back. The wolf always shows his colors eventually. Then you will see.”

  Chapter Fifty

  Kendra fidgeted with her gold belt waiting to hear Asar’s answer to her request. Kit sat on the chaise flipping one of her blades in her hand. It landed perfectly square in her palm every time.

  “Can I ask you something?” Kendra asked.

  “Sure.” Kit sat up and tucked the blade into her weapons belt.

  Kendra scratched at the small scab on her neck. “I’m a little out of my element. You know with Bakari and Bomani.”

  “You like both of them.”

  “I’ve never been in a situation where two males were interested in me. Heck, one male for that matter. My brain is all scrambled. Worse, I think they are going to kill each other.”

  “You should be flattered.”

  “Flattered? How come I feel sick to my stomach?”

  Kit slumped. “You are probably asking the wrong sister. I’d sleep with both of them, if I was you, but you’re not which is probably a good thing.” A frown distorted Kit’s beautiful face but then she masked it.

  “I need to choose, don’t I?”

  Kit looked at her with all seriousness. “Males like that do not share. You need to make a choice and quickly before things get too far with one or the other. But, I suspect based on the mark on your neck and the blush to your cheeks things have moved forward already.”

  Kendra couldn’t suppress her smile or the flush that came with it. She looked away when the blush burned her cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”

  Kit rolled her eyes. “It would explain Bomani’s reaction.”

  Kendra groaned and her smile flattened. “What am I going to do? I don’t want to hurt anyone. I love them both.” Kendra inhaled sharply and covered her mouth with her hand. She never actually voiced her emotion for the two men until now.

  Kit leaned forward and rested her elbows are her knees. “The question is not who you love, but more importantly who you are in love with.”

  Kendra already knew the answer, as did Kit. She didn’t want to hurt the warrior who had always been there for her. He had done nothing wrong. Her heart and soul was just bound to another.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Kendra’s guardian transported her and Kit outside Bomani’s quarters. She squeezed Kit’s hand to gather strength from their connection.

  “You can do this. Bomani deserves to know how you feel.”

  Kendra nodded and swallowed the nausea. Her fist trembled as she raised it to knock on the door. She rapped lightly on the thick wood and waited. It seemed like forever until Bomani answered.

  Black eyes bore into her from the crack of the open door. Cold air skimmed her face. “May I come in?”

  He shoved the door open and turned his back. She left her priestess robe in her room. She almost wished she had it considering the cold reception. She glanced over her shoulder at Kit. Her sister nodded.

  Kendra stepped over the threshold into a refrigerator of a room, a strong indicator he was mad as hell already. Blowing out a breath, she rubbed at the goose bumps that rose on her arms. She closed the door behind her.

  “I didn’t like how we left things,” she said, hoping to break his icy exterior. When his back remained turned to her, she rubbed her forehead. “I don’t like how this has gotten in the way of our friendship.”

  He threw his head back and slammed his fist into the desk. He turned, his face distorted by the shadows. “Friendship,” he snarled. “I do not want your friendship, Kendra.” He stepped forward and her breath caught in her chest. His face contorted with rage. “I have all the friends I need.” Two more strides and he loomed over her.

  His aggressiveness made her retreat into the door. His golden eyes were obliterated with blackness. For the first time in his presence, fear crawled up her spine. He had never once been mean or said an ill word to her, but tonight he was different. Very different.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, barely able to breath.

  “I should have taken you that night,” he hissed. “Then you would be mine, not his.” He slammed his fist in the door above her head.

  She cringed and tears welled in the corner of her eyes. Had she driven him to be so cruel? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “I should thank you for showing me that honor and virtue means nothing. Maybe if I roughed you up a little and threatened your life, you would like me a little better.”

  The insult came as a punch to her gut. Is that how he saw her connection with Bakari? Is that how he saw her?

  Bomani clamped his hand on her shoulder. Her fear spiked, as pain radiated under his grip. “You’re hurting me.”

  A dark energy surrounded her and struck Bomani in the chest. The blow hurled him across the room
. In a black mist Bakari materialized between her and Bomani.

  “What in duat are you doing?”

  Bakari turned to look at her, concern penetrated his silver gaze. His eyes fixated on her shoulder. She followed his line of sight and discovered red and purple marks spreading across her skin. A glint of fire ignited in Bakari’s eyes right before he launched himself at Bomani. Bakari grabbed Bomani by the shirt, lifted him up, and slammed him on the desk.

  Bomani knocked Bakari’s hold loose, but Bakari slammed his other forearm across Bomani’s neck. “Gods damn you. It is one thing to hate me, brother, but not her. Not her.”

  Bomani’s black gaze flickered over to meet hers. She didn’t know the warrior who stared at her. Sorrow and guilt flooded her heart. She loved him, she truly did, but she could only offer what her soul could give—a friendship he would never accept. She turned, yanked open the door and ran out.

  The bellow of her name chased her onto the main street of the warrior village. Kit ran over to her, along with another warrior. She recognized him right away. Sin.

  “What the hell happened?” Kit grabbed Kendra’s arm and pulled back her collar. Kendra pulled out of her sister’s grasp and dashed down the street. She didn’t stop until she had reached the beach.

  Bakari materialized a short distance from her. She dove into his arms. It was less for comfort, but the knowledge that’s where she belonged.

  “I’m so sorry, Kendra.” He pulled her in tighter. “For all of this.”

  “Is there some place we can go? Away from here?”

  Bakari brushed the tears from her cheek. “Yes.”

  ***

  Bakari transported her to the temple on the far side of the island. It was the only place he could take her without breaking his father’s orders to stay in Aaru. The guests’ temple had the full furnishings as the palace.

  He guided Kendra to the chaise off the bedroom. “I will be right back.” He flashed out of the room and into the servant’s kitchen. He wrapped ice in a towel and returned to her. She sat with her hands on her lap. Her tears had stopped at least. He stooped next to her and gently pressed the towel to her shoulder.