“Anybody! Please, I need help!”
Two men appeared out of thin air as a woman exited the front gate. They surrounded her. She stared at the men in turn and then opted for addressing the woman. She rushed forward. “Help.”
The dark rose-colored woman glared down at Kitty while sniffing the air. “You indeed need help, human, though I think the bhresya you fought doesn’t seem to have fared well either.” She sniffed again and her expression grew darker. “Wait. I know this smell.” She grabbed the front of Kitty’s shirt and hauled her in close before inhaling deeply. “Chigaru,” the woman said with a growl. She shook Kitty and asked in a rough voice, “What have you done with him, human? Speak.”
“Stop shaking me, damn it.” Kitty had had enough. She grabbed the woman’s hand and twisted like her self-defense instructor had taught her. The woman released her grip on Kitty and dropped to her knees in obvious pain. Kitty shoved the woman over with her foot in her throat while applying more pressure to the hand she held.
The woman’s glare turned to an expression of pure loathing.
Kitty said to the two men who had their hands near their weapons, “Yes, I’m covered in Chigaru’s blood. Yes, he is hurt. Yes, he is dying. Now which one of you is going to help me save him?”
“What is all this racket?” A dark blue man with horns that started at his neck and curved above his head exited the palace gates riding a giant…could that even be called a horse? It had six legs, horns and clawed feet instead of hooves.
Kitty didn’t have time for this. She said in a loud voice that sounded frantic to her ears, “Hello! Chigaru is fucking dying while you people are standing around talking!”
“Chigaru?” A woman pulled her horse-monster alongside the blue man’s. She stared hard at Kitty. “You know where Chigaru is?”
“Yes. For the millionth time. Yes. He said to come here for help. Do you have someone who can heal him? Yes or no?”
“Yes.”
“Then get them and let’s go already.”
The blue man said, “Release Nym.”
Kitty had forgotten she was holding the woman. She released her grip and took two steps back in case Nym came up swinging.
Nym continued glaring but didn’t attack.
The blue man said to Nym, “Get the mage and follow.” He then moved his mount over to Kitty, leaned down and scooped her onto the animal in front of him. “Lead us to him.”
“Good. Now we’re getting somewhere.” She pointed. “Through there. I came through there. It’s a straight shot.”
One of the two men who had arrived with Nym said, “This could be a trap, your majesty.”
Your majesty? That had to mean this was the Melchior Chigaru had mentioned. Kitty glanced at the woman. Serenity. She had to be. So she was Kitty’s competition.
Melchior said, “Then follow as well. I will not chance Chigaru’s life if it isn’t a trap.”
“It isn’t,” Kitty snapped. “Can we hurry this along, people?”
Serenity said, “Yes, we need to leave with all speed. Nym, hurry and get the mage. Haige, Erezion, follow if you must, but we leave now.” She looked at Kitty. “Which way?”
Kitty pointed to the tree line again.
Melchior said, “Hold tight. Lysidis travel fast.” He tightened his arm around her waist and urged the beast forward.
Kitty grabbed the animal’s mane as it leapt forward with the speed of a car rushing down the highway, except cars on the highway couldn’t dodge trees and jump rocks and roots the way this animal did.
Melchior said close to her ear, “If this is a trap, human, you will be the first to die.”
“If this was a trap, I wouldn’t be riding with you thus putting myself in harm’s way, now would I?”
He chuckled, sending hot breath over her neck. “I do not presume to know the workings of the human mind.”
“Whatever. It’s not a trap. And…” She looked around. Where was Chigaru? Had she run this far?
“And?”
She looked around for something familiar. They were heading back the way she’d come but nothing looked familiar. She should have looked back a few times to get a landmark or something.
“Human?”
“My name is Kitty.”
“I am Melchior.”
“I figured as much. Chi mentioned you were blue.”
“Chi?”
“Chigaru. It’s what I call him.” She looked around more. She couldn’t have run this far. They hadn’t passed him. At least she hoped they hadn’t. She looked over Melchior’s shoulder and saw Serenity following close behind them. Beyond her were Nym, the two men, and another woman all mounted on lysidis.
She faced forward in time to see a blood splattered rock. The one she had fallen against when she tripped. “Stop. Stop. He’s close.”
Melchior pulled his mount to a stop and helped Kitty to the ground before dismounting after her.
She ran forward. “Chi!”
He didn’t respond.
“Answer me, damn it.” Her command came out as a frantic scream.
A coughing noise from in front of her almost brought tears to her eyes. She headed for it with the others following. They entered the clearing, but Kitty didn’t stop running until she reached Chigaru.
She ran over to him and lifted his head onto her lap. “Chi, open your eyes.”
His eyes fluttered and he focused on her for a few seconds before closing them again. His lips twitched as he tried to smile, but he couldn’t quite pull it off.
The unknown woman who had followed the group—Kitty assumed she was the healer—came forward. Her eyes widened when she saw Chigaru. In a rough voice, she said, “Move away, human. I cannot have you touching him as I work.”
Kitty didn’t like the woman’s tone, but she lowered Chigaru’s head to the ground and scooted a foot away to watch.
Nym came forward and knelt on Chigaru’s other side. Her hands started to glow as she raised them over his body. “I will help.”
The other woman looked startled but nodded and her hands started to glow as well.
Serenity stood with her face against Melchior’s chest as she cried. He hugged her while giving Kitty a hard look. “Who did this to him? What did this?”
Kitty shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
Haige snapped, “Your words are treason, human. If you value—”
“I can’t tell you,” Kitty yelled. “What part of that don’t you understand? Not won’t, can’t. Why can’t I? Because I’m not ushering in a new age of weaponry for this world. If you don’t like it, tough shit!” She turned her attention to Chigaru. Was he smiling?
“This world?” Serenity whispered. “What do you mean by those words?”
“In case you haven’t noticed by the way I talk, I’m not from around here,” Kitty said in a way to indicate she thought Serenity might be a little dim. Kitty didn’t know the woman and shouldn’t feel so hostile toward her. But she was Chigaru’s Serenity—the woman against which Chigaru measured all others. Kitty despised Serenity for that reason alone.
Nym and the mage both sat back with twin sighs of fatigue and relief.
The mage said in a tired voice, “I am finished, your majesties.” She got to her feet and walked over to Melchior and Serenity with her hands cupped in front of her. “I removed this metal. It was riddled throughout and caused a fair amount of damage.”
Serenity held out her hands to receive the bullets. She stared down in confusion before turning her questioning expression to Kitty. “What is this?”
Kitty ignored the question as she watched Chigaru.
He sat up and rolled his shoulders.
“Chi!” Kitty jumped at him, knocking them both to the ground.
Chigaru chuckled and stroked her back. “I am whole again, Kitty.”
“I know. I know, but I was so worried.” Relieved tears soaked his shirt and she didn’t try to stop them.
Chigaru sat up once more wit
h Kitty cradled on his lap. He said, “My king, my queen, it is good to see you once more. I have returned.”
“We have missed you, my confidant,” Serenity said. “I read your note. It gave no details but you indicated your errand would be brief. You’ve been gone for so long I feared the worst.”
“Forgive me my long absence, Serenity. It was not my intention to be gone more than a few days.”
Kitty stiffened. His words reminded her of the revelation she’d had before the club came under attack. She pushed off Chigaru’s lap and got to her feet.
Beside her, Chigaru stood as well. When he would have slipped his arm around her waist, she moved away. “Kitty?”
Melchior said, “We still have yet to learn Kitty’s relationship to you or how you came to be so badly injured.”
Chigaru said, “Kitty is my true mate.”
“Truly?” Serenity asked with a happy gasp.
“Yes.”
At the same time, Kitty said, “No.” The word dripped ice. She stepped away from Chigaru, putting distance between them as the full force of her earlier anger resurfaced.
“Kitty, I did not tell you, but you are my true mate.”
“Yeah, I know already.” She pulled the folded paper from her pocket and snapped it open with a flick of her wrist. Chigaru’s surprised, guilty expression told her everything she needed to know. “Forgot about this, didn’t you?”
“Kristar—”
“Don’t call me that!” She screamed the words at the top of her lungs. In a normal tone, she said, “I don’t care what this paper says. You denied me twice. I’m nothing to you.” She balled up the paper and threw it at him, hitting him on the nose. It didn’t do near the amount of damage she wanted.
She didn’t want him hurt by bullets and explosions. He needed to feel the same emotional pain she felt at learning he—her soul mate—didn’t want her. All the stories had said her soul mate should be the one person who would want her no matter what, the one person to love her unconditionally. Chigaru proved that wrong. He’d crossed to her world to find her and had been determined to leave her there after meeting her.
She faced away from him and said to Serenity and Melchior, “Nice meeting you. Bye now.”
Their confusion at the exchange almost made her laugh. The nagging pain in her chest kept her from indulging. She walked away instead. There had to be a town near the palace. She would head there. Kitty was a survivor. It would take time to learn some things, but she already knew the language. That was one major hurdle out of the way.
Each step she took hurt more than the last but she didn’t stop walking. The pain in her chest intensified to the point where tears flowed down her cheeks. This was a momentary thing. She would get over Chigaru in time.
Her vision blurred until everything turned into blob of colors. Soon those colors started fading to black and Kitty felt herself falling.
Chapter Seven
Chigaru stood with his fist clenched at his side as he watched Kitty walk away. She had a right to be angry with him, and she was correct. He had denied her twice.
Serenity asked in a soft voice, “Chigaru?”
He shook his head, not willing to speak of this situation with her. As soon as Kitty calmed, he would try talking to her and make her understand his reasoning for denying her. She was on Gezane now. He knew of no way to return her home. She would need his guidance even if she denied any further relationship with him.
When Kitty’s steps faltered, he held his breath, hoping she had decided to talk to him. Her legs crumpled beneath her and Chigaru lunged forward. “Kristar!”
He reached her and knelt at her side. The pungent scent of blood filled his nostrils. Human blood. Kitty’s blood. He hadn’t noticed the scent until that moment since she was covered in his blood.
The others crowded around. Serenity asked, “What happened?”
Chigaru couldn’t answer. After pulling Kitty’s shirt open, he searched for her wound. From the amount of her blood he smelled, it had to be bad. Blood gushed from a hole near her shoulder. A bullet wound. That couldn’t be. He was sure he had covered her, kept her safe from the onslaught.
He whispered, “She was hit and I didn’t notice.” He cursed under his breath before waving the mage forward. “Heal her. Hurry.”
The mage knelt on Kitty’s other side and raised her hands.
“Hold.”
The command drew everyone’s attention. Silny joined the group, her hooded cloak hiding her face from view.
Chigaru snapped, “She is dying. Your payment can wait until she is healed.”
“No it cannot.” Silny waved the mage away. The other female looked at Serenity and Melchior in question but didn’t move. Silny said, “Your power will kill this child. Is that what you want?”
Chigaru’s heart rate slowed at the thought of Kitty dying. “What do you mean?”
“It means I have arrived in time to avert disaster.” Silny made another shooing motion at the mage. This time the female stood and moved away. Silny took the female’s place and waved her hand over Kitty. “As I thought.”
“What?” Chigaru asked in a near roar.
“The bullet went through you to her.”
Melchior asked in wonder, “Through? This small metal cannot have such power.”
Chigaru said, “It can, my king, but my explanation stops there. Kitty is correct. The knowledge we carry is best left in the world we departed.” He turned his attention back to Silny. “Heal her.”
“I cannot. I have stopped her bleeding so she is not in immediate danger, but the wound remains. A part of your flesh resides with the bullet, close to her heart. Under a mage’s healing power, that flesh will grow until it overruns and kills her.”
“You did not send me to her so I could watch her die.”
“No, I did not. And I will do nothing for her until I receive my payment.”
Melchior asked, “Payment for what?”
Chigaru said in a hurried manner, “This is Mage Silny. She gave me a spell to cross dimensions so I could retrieve Kitty, my true mate.”
“And what payment does she require?”
Silny said, “I require my payment of Kristar and no other.” She moved her hand in a slow circle over Kitty’s head. “Wake, Kristar. Your pain is much but you are not dying.”
Kitty opened her eyes and stared at Silny. “How the hell do you know my name? And for that matter, don’t call me that.”
“I know much about you, child. I know what you are.” She nodded at Kitty’s angered gasp. “I know that talent can help me regain something I have lost.”
“No. You can’t pay me enough.”
“I hadn’t planned to pay you. It is you who must pay me. Chigaru used my magic to find you. His return with you at his side means you must render me payment.”
“I’m not at his side. He was going to leave me there before we got attacked.”
“What he planned to do and what truly happened are two different things. You are here. My part is done. It is time for yours.” Silny pulled Kitty to a sitting position then moved her hands to Kitty’s shoulders. “And you have no choice in the matter.”
“I don’t want—” Kitty’s words stopped abruptly as white film covered her eyes.
Chigaru asked, “What are you doing to her? If you hurt her—”
“My intention is not to hurt her. This is all part of the spell to regain what I lost.”
Melchior asked, “What did you lose?”
“My past, your majesty. Hundreds of years of my past were wiped from my memory. This girl is the key to their return.” She smiled over her shoulder at him. “All I have done in the past few years has been for this moment. I will later ask for your forgiveness, your majesty.”
“Why would you need my forgiveness? We have never met.”
“No we have not, but my magic caused you grief in the past. You see, I am the one who taught the deceased Prince Joah erasure magic.”
“Wha
t?” Everyone yelled in unison.
Silny didn’t act fazed by their upset. She also didn’t try to protect herself when Melchior rushed forward and wrapped his hands around her neck.
Melchior said in a growling voice, “I promised death to whichever mage gave him that magic.”
Chigaru understood Melchior’s anger. Silny’s erasure magic had facilitated the incident that had led to Chigaru losing his arm. The same incident had almost caused Serenity’s death. Silny would have died by Chigaru’s hand if he had known this truth upon their first meeting. But her death would have to wait.
He grabbed a sword from Haige and leveled it at Melchior’s throat. “Forgive me, King Melchior. My mate’s life is in Silny’s hands. I want Silny dead as much as you but I cannot allow you to kill her now.”
Melchior released his hold and backed up a step. “You draw a sword against me.”
“As you would to me if Serenity were dying.”
“This is not the same.”
“She is my mate. Do what you will after, but Silny will not be molested so long as Kitty’s life is in danger.”
Serenity placed her hand on Melchior’s chest and put herself in his path. “Lower your sword, Chigaru. We will not interfere.”
He let the sword drop from his grip and then faced Silny. “Hurry up,” he snapped.
Silny smiled at him before turning her attention to Kitty. “Now then. Give me back that which I lost.” She cupped Kitty’s head and stared into her vacant eyes.
Both began to glow. Kitty’s lips moved on soundless words. Chigaru had to stop himself from intervening when tears erupted from Kitty’s eyes and pain crossed her features. He didn’t know what was happening. If he interrupted the magic, Kitty’s mind could be lost.
Silny’s tears surprised him. She heaved loud sobs and shook her head but didn’t release Kitty or lose eye contact.
Minutes ticked by with both women crying. Kitty started shaking. Her soundless words stopped and her mouth fell open. The scream that left her lips resembled the one she’d uttered the day of her nightmare. Chigaru dropped to his knees and dug his fingers into the ground to keep from going to her.
Kristar (Bookstrand Publishing Romance) Page 12