“I’m not afraid of you, creature,” Eanera replied. “Just try to touch me, and you’ll regret it.”
“Come now, Eanera,” Onyerre drawled. “You needn’t fear me. I’m only here to do you a favor. I can kill your rival with a thought. Wouldn’t that be nice? You could become queen.”
“I loathe Onyerre,” Eanera replied without missing a beat, “but I don’t wish for her death. She is the mother of Selbrian’s children. While our situation is unfortunate, nothing you could ever do would help us fix it.”
Onyerre laughed. “I don’t believe you. The truth is, High Priestess, you have the same desires and passions as everyone else. You try to hide it behind your façade of holiness, but I see it.”
Oddly enough, Sari could feel every emotion the Ancient Horror’s words had awoken inside his mother. There was anger, disgust, and regret, so much regret that it nearly choked Sari. Then, before the conversation could continue, her heart grew light. “I love my son and my mate. We might not make the perfect family, but you can’t make me ashamed of that.”
“On the contrary,” the possessed Onyerre answered, “I always applaud an honest display of emotion. It makes my job so much easier.”
That was the only warning Eanera received before a strange shadow emerged from Onyerre’s body. The queen slumped to the ground, breathing hard, but the memory no longer showed her after that. Everything became dark, and Sari gasped, feeling his mother’s pain as she battled the creature. It was obvious that the Ancient Horror wanted Eanera’s power, but Eanera didn’t allow herself to be defeated so easily. At first, she attempted to push it away, using the light of her magic against it. But then, sudden knowledge filled her, and through her memories, invaded Sari as well. Finally, Sari knew what his mother had done, and what she planned to achieve today.
In the recollection, Eanera opened herself to the power of the Ancient Horror. But just as the creature attempted to take over her body, Sari’s mother shut her body down, trapping the monster within her.
The memory faded, but not before Sari realized how much the past months had hurt Eanera. “That doesn’t matter anymore,” his mother said. “I have to go now, Sari. Please understand. The only way to destroy the Ancient Horror is to have it trapped within someone, and kill that person. This is our chance. Jenarra only knows what it will do if it escapes. It still has influence over Onyerre, and, unfortunately, I haven’t managed to keep it from accessing my powers. It’s already happened once. You know it. You felt it.”
Another memory flashed in front of them, that of Onyerre speaking to a female on the phone. It was very distant, obviously seen through a filter of someone else’s consciousness. “Are you sure that werewolf whore will be there?”
“Oh yes, Lady Elina. He’ll be there. Just do your part and kill him, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“I feel like I should ask what your interest in helping me getting rid of that slut is, but I don’t really care,” the draechen female answered. “This had better be true, Queen Onyerre. You don’t want me as your enemy.”
The recollection faded, and Sari faced his mother yet again. “Should the Ancient Horror be freed now,” she said, “I shudder at the consequences.”
For a few moments, Sari just looked at her. He’d grown up knowing that many times, Eanera’s duties as High Priestess would be more important than him. Right now, what he wanted to do was to cry and beg for her to change her mind. A part of him pointed out that it would be childish, and wouldn’t provide a solution. He knew better than to do so.
His mother’s words echoed in his mind as he thought this. It wasn’t shameful to love or be selfish in that affection. Even if his feelings changed nothing, that didn’t mean he couldn’t share them with her.
Without further hesitation, Sari went to her side and hugged her tightly. She smelled like incense, warm and familiar. “I love you, Mother,” he said simply.
“I love you, too, dear child,” his mother said. “And no matter what might have happened in the past, just know that you and Selbrian are and will always be the most important thing in my life. I’m just sure of one thing right now. You’ll be a great parent, much better than I ever was.”
Sari said nothing else. He’d have probably burst into miserable sobs, even if this wasn’t the real world. However, his time at his mother’s side was up. Suddenly, he was thrust out of her arms, and he fell back into a reality he wasn’t ready for.
His mother’s physical form was still shaking on the bed. Sari now realized that she was struggling to contain the Ancient Horror, while attempting to shut down her own body. The priestesses were frantic, as was Selbrian. No one seemed to have seen what had happened, except Karein of course. He hugged Sari close, not saying a word, obviously realizing that, at this point, it wouldn’t help.
Then, out of the blue, Karein tensed. He turned toward the door, shielding Sari’s body with his own. Sari glanced over Karein’s shoulder, and much to his shock, he saw Onyerre standing there. He had no idea when she had arrived, because she hadn’t been there when Sari and Karein had been drawn into the mental conversation with Eanera. Either way, that was hardly the point. The most worrisome thing was that she held a gun, and pointed it straight at Selbrian. Sari’s father was too focused on Eanera to notice. Onyerre twitched, like she was fighting the control the Ancient Horror still had on her body. In the end, the creature was more powerful, because before Sari could even utter one word of warning, she pressed the trigger.
None of this should have been possible. From what Sari had been told, the Ancient Horror shouldn’t have been able to possess two hosts at the same time. But clearly, Eanera was having some success in her plan, and the Ancient Horror fed everything he had to prevent her from killing herself, and him, in the process.
On instinct, Sari threw a shield around the group of assembled fae. At the last moment, Onyerre’s hand jerked as she tried to stop herself, changing the direction of the projectile. This was fortunate, because the bullet went straight through Sari’s shield. Instead of being a lethal round, the projectile struck Selbrian in the shoulder.
The entire thing must have lasted maybe five seconds. Before Sari even knew what was going on, Karein had already released him and pounced on Onyerre, removing the gun from her grasp. Selbrian cried out in pain and fell away from the bed, clutching his wound. The priestesses turned toward their king, gasping in terror.
And then, at Selbrian’s groan, something seemed to change within Sari’s mother. Sari saw the exact moment when Eanera’s resistance cracked, when she couldn’t hold her focus any longer because of the attack on her mate. The Ancient Horror might have failed in killing Selbrian, but it did succeed in what it wanted to do. Eanera’s body stopped seizing, and a shadow left her form. As she opened her eyes, Sari knew that his mother would live, but because of that, countless others would probably die.
A dark-cloaked figure appeared in front of them. “Well, well. It looks like we finally meet. Hello, Prince Sareltae Norrenddare Myrthylar lea Tersain. Greetings, Prince Shtamakarein Tersain. It’s a pleasure to meet the two men I’ve been considering for parents.”
“You stay the fuck away from us.” Karein growled at him. “You don’t want to piss me off.”
The creature laughed. “Oh, and what can you possibly do to me, Dog-Catcher? Face it. You’ve lost. There’s no way you can hurt me now. But don’t worry. I have another host waiting for me. I’ll see you soon.”
And with that, the creature disappeared into thin air. Sari didn’t even know what to do first. He wanted to help his father, to make sure his mother was all right, but also pursue the creature.
Karein kissed his temple and embraced him quickly. “Stay here. I’ll go see where it went. I have a feeling it had a very clear destination in mind.”
Sari shared a look with Karein. Instantly, both of them thought of the same thing. “Oh, no,” Sari whispered. “Galyn.”
Even as Sari said the name of Karein’s nephew, his mate was
already out the door. Sari glanced toward his mother and father, considered his situation, then started to follow his mate. And then, Eanera called out to him. “Sari, don’t. You can’t help them now. You have your own responsibilities.”
“She’s right,” Karein said through their bond. “Stay safe, Sari. I need to know you and our son are all right to face this.”
Sari touched his own swollen belly. No matter how much he wanted to jump to Hareem and Taryn’s assistance, this was a battle he couldn’t participate in. If he went there, he’d just be in the way and put himself and his child at risk. He watched as the priestesses rushed to call more guards and personnel, then returned to his parents’ side. Sending a prayer to Jenarra, Sari waited.
* * * *
Hareem sat with his mate in his room, frustrated by the knowledge that he could do very little to help the Norrenddare. He had wanted to go with Sari and Karein, but he’d known that his place was at Taryn’s side. In fact, he’d have much preferred to get the hell out of Rose Noire, but with his mate just recovering from his injury and their son still in a delicate condition, now was hardly the time to travel.
“Do you think High Priestess Eanera is going to die?” Taryn asked, leaning against Hareem’s shoulder.
“I don’t know, sweeting,” Hareem replied. “I wish I had answers, but I don’t.”
Taryn relaxed in his arms, holding Galyn close. Distantly, Hareem wondered about the reasons of his son’s anxiety. Had he felt the change in Eanera’s condition? That was really a little strange, since Galyn and Eanera really didn’t have any sort of connection.
It was oddly peaceful to just lie here with his mate, a rare moment of silence Hareem had almost never benefitted from during their stay in Draechenburg. But even now, Hareem couldn’t completely relax. No matter what Sari had said, he remained worried about his son. Paradoxically, in spite of the feeling of rightness he experienced at holding Taryn, it also seemed to him that the walls were closing in on him.
He was distracted from his thoughts when the door burst open again. Monroe stepped into the room, eyes wide, looking very pale. The elven prince followed behind him, as it mostly happened these days.
Hareem could have kicked himself. It occurred to him then that, with everything that had happened, he had forgotten to let Monroe know that Taryn had recovered. He also figured out—not that it was very difficult—that Monroe was panicking because of the general feel of chaos in the temple. He’d probably believed the unrest was caused by something happening to Taryn.
Taryn pulled away from Hareem and smiled. “Hello, brother. It looks like I owe you my life.”
In seconds, Monroe crossed the space between him and Taryn. “You owe me nothing,” he said. He clenched his fists, obviously wanting to hug Taryn, but unable to do so because Taryn was still holding Galyn.
Hareem extended his arms, ready to take his son from his mate, but he never got the chance to do so. Behind Monroe and Prince Jud’enealh, a shadow appeared. At first, it seemed unsubstantial, but then, it suddenly took the form of a man.
“What a happy gathering,” the strange new arrival said. “I’m so pleased I could join you.”
Hareem had never seen the Ancient Horror in his life, and his brothers hadn’t either. However, Hareem had no trouble identifying it, both from Stanton Hanover’s description and through his own instincts.
He pulled Taryn back, shielding the werewolf and Galyn from the creature. Monroe formed another barrier in front of them. Meanwhile, the elf instantly retrieved his crossbow from where it had been strapped to his back. Without hesitation, he shot one of the bolts of the creature. Sadly, the projectile went straight through the shadowy figure. The Ancient Horror gave Jud’enealh a look of disinterest, obviously not impressed at all.
“I have no business with a disgraced prince,” he said.
Hareem really didn’t know what happened next. One moment, he was summoning a spell, the next, he was being flung aside by a force far stronger than him. He crashed against the wall with a painful thud, but was on his feet in seconds. By that time, it was already too late.
Taryn lay fallen on the bed, with Galyn wailing, still in his arms. And then, the infant’s cries stopped, and Hareem knew exactly what had happened.
His mate gasped, and their bond was flooded with agony and loss. A litany of “nos” filled their connection. The emotional pain was so intense it nearly crushed Hareem’s soul and mind.
Normally, he’d have shut down his feelings so that he could function, but instead, he allowed himself to absorb them, not even bothering to suppress his own agony. Taryn looked at him with empty eyes, their green-gold color dimmed by the extreme sadness. Hareem couldn’t allow this. No matter what sacrifice he had to make, he would draw out the Ancient Horror from its current host. His son.
As Hareem headed toward the bed, Taryn hugged their son close, whimpering. When Monroe tried to approach, Taryn bared his fangs at his brother. However, he allowed Hareem close.
“It’s okay, sweeting,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. We can fix this.”
Brushing his fingers over Galyn’s tuft of black hair, he stared deeply into his son’s different-colored eyes. “Don’t do this,” Hareem said. “Galyn isn’t of any use to you.”
No reply came, and Galyn clutched Taryn’s arm with his little hand, sniffing and shying away.
“You’re scaring him,” Taryn said, voice trembling. It might have sounded like a reprimand, except Hareem could feel the young werewolf’s despair. Taryn didn’t even know what he wanted anymore. In his heart, he understood what Hareem planned, but he couldn’t do anything about it. Hareem couldn’t help him with the choice he had to make. The only thing he could was to go through with his idea and hope for the best.
He touched his son again, noticing that Galyn’s skin was far cooler than before. Swallowing around the knot in his throat, he tried again. “Come now,” Hareem taunted. “You don’t want Galyn. He’s a weak child. Surely you can tell. The birth affected him a great deal. He wouldn’t be of any use to you. But I would.”
That got him some attention. Galyn turned and just blinked at him, and his gaze suddenly grew black. He didn’t speak, but out of the blue, Hareem could hear the Ancient Horror’s voice in his head. “Don’t try to play games with me, Emperor. You won’t win.”
“I’m not playing games,” Hareem insisted. “It’s easy. No tricks. I’m willing to hand myself in to you for the child. In the end, what use do you have for a half-breed werewolf? With me, you can become emperor.”
The Ancient Horror laughed. “You’re trying to fight fire with fire, Emperor? I know all about hidden desires.”
Hareem had no idea what that meant, and neither did he care. He doubted the phrasing was a coincidence, since the creature obviously loved pointing out inadequacies in others. Mentioning fire when referring to something an ice dragon would do clearly pointed out the high likelihood of that action failing.
Either way, Hareem didn’t plan on fooling the Ancient Horror, at least not just yet. He fully intended to give the monster control over his own body. After that… well, he had no idea. He hoped that by accepting the creature within him, he’d find some sort of weakness it had. Nothing was omnipotent outside the Overlords. The Ancient Horror had been killed once. Not to mention that Sagenamadeen Zager had once banished him from Draechenburg. It had to have a vulnerability now.
“The only thing I want is for my son to be free,” he said. “Surely you can see that.”
“How noble. And do you truly think all the people here will allow me to become emperor?”
“They won’t say anything,” Hareem replied, throwing a gaze over his shoulder at Monroe and the elf. “They don’t care about me, only Taryn.”
“I suppose that’s true,” the Ancient Horror answered. “Very well. You have yourself a deal.”
Taryn released a sound of dismay and trembled, but made no protest.
Hareem waited, meeting his mate’s gaze witho
ut fear. At last, a shadow trickled out of Galyn’s small body. Distantly, Hareem heard his son start wailing, but he couldn’t focus on it for too long. The alien force invaded him, cutting off his breath, threatening to sever his consciousness.
At first, Hareem welcomed it, as per their deal. He could feel the Ancient Horror’s dark satisfaction as it began to take over. But Hareem didn’t waste what little time he had at his disposal. He searched for the answer to his questions, trying to find the chink in the Ancient Horror’s armor. Meanwhile, with his final strength, he pulled away from the bed, putting some distance between himself and his family.
“That’s sweet,” the Ancient Horror said, “but you can’t stop me from hurting them if I want to. You can’t do anything anymore, Emperor Hareematek.”
Hareem would have fallen into despair, except a knowledge filled his mind. He saw exactly what he had to do, the only way the world would ever be rid of the creature.
“No, Hareem, no,” Taryn said through their bond. “Don’t do this. We’ll find another way.”
But there wasn’t one, not really. Hareem clung to his mate link with Taryn, drawing the strength he needed from Taryn’s love. The Ancient Horror realized what he was doing, but it was too late. He’d already merged with Hareem’s consciousness, and he couldn’t get out.
“You treacherous maggot,” the creature fumed. “You’ll regret this when I escape.”
Hareem ignored the voice. He shifted into his dragon form, all the while carefully monitoring the second presence inside him. How had Karein lived with another soul within him for so many years and remained sane? To be true, it wasn’t the same thing—Rachen was nothing like the Ancient Horror, and remained Karein’s twin—but that didn’t change the fact that a body wasn’t meant to hold two souls.
Well, in this case, Hareem wouldn’t have to carry it for long. It wasn’t exactly easy for a dragon of any kind to be killed. Hareem’s best bet was one of those special weapons created specifically to fight his kind. Fortunately, Prince Jud’enealh had one of his crossbows here. While it hadn’t worked on the Ancient Horror, it would hurt Hareem.
Emperor's Consort [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 5] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 23