Elder

by Thomas, Raine

  Zachariah quirked an eyebrow as he struck the top of Tiege and Ariana’s tent twice. He responded, “You of all beings should know that there are many ways to offer a female pleasure without it resulting in pregnancy.”

  Ini-herit’s eyebrows shot up. He snorted in amusement as Quincy’s face flushed.

  “Why me of all beings?” the Corgloresti sputtered.

  “I imagine he means that you have the most in-depth knowledge about anatomy of any of us,” Ini-herit explained as Tiege threw back his tent flap and emerged.

  Tate’s twin eyed the other three males, his gaze settling on Zachariah. He blinked when he noticed the Mercesti was only dressed in a pair of pants.

  “I need Ariana’s assistance,” Zachariah said.

  “What you need is to put a shirt on,” Tiege argued. “Holy light, bro. You’ll have the females stumbling into the campfire if you walk around like that.”

  Zachariah looked down at himself. Then he lifted a shoulder in a negligent shrug. He was tall and muscular, larger and more defined than any of them due to his base Gloresti form. Ini-herit thought Tiege had a point.

  “I need Ariana to repair this tear,” Zachariah said, holding up the garment in his hand.

  Tiege frowned and lifted an edge of the damaged fabric. “How did it get…?” He trailed off and held up a hand. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  He grabbed the piece of clothing and retreated back into his tent. Ini-herit exchanged a look with Quincy as a flash of lavender light illuminated the area. They both grinned. Then, when Zachariah’s tank top flew from the tent with a grumbled command from Tiege that he put it the hell on, they both burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” Sophia asked, poking her head out of her tent. Her gaze fell on Zachariah, who had to walk several feet closer to her to retrieve his repaired garment. Her eyes widened and her jaw slackened.

  “Nothing,” Quincy said, moving to block her view. “We were just having a discussion about anatomy.”

  “Anatomy?” she repeated in a dubious voice.

  “Yep. In fact, why don’t we go inside the tent and I’ll bring you up to speed? I’ve been told I’m quite the expert on the subject.”

  Chapter 33

  Clara Kate didn’t want the bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit that Ini-herit served her for breakfast, but she knew she had to eat it. She sat with her family around a small fire that Sebastian created in the center of their circle of tents. A few of them were also eating. She figured if their stomachs were as twisted into knots as hers was, they were only doing it so she didn’t feel weird. That just made her love them all the more.

  “So, should we talk about the markings now?” she asked as she lifted another spoonful of food to her mouth.

  Several of them instinctively twisted their right wrists to once again view the marking. Tiege and Ariana exchanged grins, which made Clara Kate smile. She had congratulated them earlier on their avowing and couldn’t be happier for them.

  “Each of us has now avowed as pairs,” Quincy said. “After what Saraqael told us about our fates being tied to the scroll, I guess this isn’t really surprising.”

  “Our parents all share markings on their right wrists,” Sophia added. “As most of us know, the markings formed after they made a commitment to each other. But they had to be in physical contact at the time.”

  Clara Kate considered this as she scooped the last of her breakfast into her mouth. Her mother and her aunts were half-human, half-Estilorian, while their fathers were full Estilorian. Thus, their children were only one-quarter human and three-quarters Estilorian. Quincy had reasoned that the Kynzesti didn’t menstruate because there had been an evolutionary leap in their reproductive development. What if that leap extended into things like bonding with others?

  “That’s exactly right,” Ini-herit said out loud, catching her gaze. “The Kynzesti class has demonstrated capabilities more advanced than other Estilorians. It’s likely that you can extend a vow of commitment—at least in part—without physically touching another being, just through strong enough emotion. Your human blood may be the key to that.”

  “Sure,” Tate said, looking at Zachariah. “I was able to avow myself to Sparky in a dream.”

  Zachariah nodded as he met her gaze. “But our connection grew stronger after we avowed in person.”

  “How so?” Tiege asked.

  Tate reached out and squeezed Zachariah’s hand. “Well, before we avowed in person, we could hear each other’s thoughts and feel some of what the other felt. Now we share everything.”

  Clara Kate understood that. She saw that everyone else did, too. Setting her bowl to the side, she said, “I think we should join hands and seal our connection.”

  A pause followed her announcement as everyone processed the idea. Then Tate smiled and took Tiege’s hand in her free one, joining her to her twin and her avowed. Tiege nodded and took Ariana’s hand in his. She reached out to Sophia, who sat beside her. Sophia clasped Ariana’s hand and then joined her other one with Quincy’s. Since Ini-herit stood beside Quincy, he reached out and took the other male’s hand, then Clara Kate’s. She reached out to Zachariah beside her.

  The Mercesti hesitated, looking at Clara Kate’s hand.

  “Come on, Zachariah,” Quincy encouraged. “This will work.”

  “Yeah,” Sophia agreed. “If it worked for your avowing, it’ll work for this.”

  When he still didn’t move, Ariana urged, “Take C.K.’s hand, Zachariah. We need you to make this work.”

  “There’s no reason we shouldn’t do this,” Ini-herit said. “It’s just going to confirm what the markings already tell us.”

  “Yeah, bro,” Tiege added. “We all know how you feel about us. No need to deny it now.”

  Clara Kate noticed that Tate’s gaze didn’t move from Zachariah. Her cousin was likely communicating whatever she wanted to convey through her thoughts. When she realized that Tate’s eyes glistened with tears, she suddenly understood.

  “Zachariah,” Clara Kate said, not lowering her hand, “we’re all family now. None of us is perfect. We’ve all made mistakes. But we accept each other without condition. You’re only strengthening us by doing this. Don’t ever think that you’re less deserving of our love than anyone else.”

  He met her gaze. Then he looked around the circle. Everyone nodded. Finally, he reached out and took her hand.

  That was the last thing she registered before everything went dark.

  Ini-herit had witnessed the bonding ceremonies between the daughters of Saraqael and their avoweds. Each time, all of the beings involved had lost consciousness. He’d been prepared for it…but it happened quicker this time than he’d thought. They hadn’t even spoken.

  When his vision cleared, he saw the blue sky above him. As he registered the fact that he was on the ground, he remembered what they’d been trying to achieve. Then he heard an unexpected thought and knew they’d been successful.

  Wake up, Beautiful.

  The voice in his head belonged to Zachariah. He felt the concern associated with the thought. Jerking into a sitting position, Ini-herit shook his head to clear it and glanced around.

  Zachariah knelt beside Tate, leaning over her and touching the side of her face. His gaze moved to Ini-herit when he registered the movement.

  They’ll be all right, Ini-herit sent to Zachariah.

  If the Mercesti was surprised that he could now hear Ini-herit’s thoughts, he didn’t show it. Instead, he nodded and returned his focus to Tate. Ini-herit moved closer to Clara Kate and pulled her into his arms. Her pale complexion worried him, so he brought forth his healing energy. She moaned.

  Tiege sat up as Ini-herit got Clara Kate into a sitting position and then moved to Sophia and Quincy. Grasping their arms, he used more healing energy to rouse them. By the time he finished with them, Ariana and Tate had regained consciousness.

  Does anyone else need healing? he thought.

  T
hough there were some widened eyes and raised eyebrows among the group, everyone shook their heads. He moved back to Clara Kate’s side and put his arm around her.

  We’re all joined in thought now, he sent out. Some of us have more experience sharing thoughts than others. He exchanged a look with Zachariah, who once shared a mental connection with his Gloresti leaders. But we all know this is a learning process. Don’t hold anyone accountable for a stray thought you might receive as we strengthen our mental filters.

  Guess it’s a good thing we weren’t connected earlier when Zachariah had his shirt off, Sophia thought with a grin. She exchanged looks with the other females and grinned widely.

  Tate laughed. Clara Kate and Ariana looked intrigued, turning their gazes to Zachariah, who shook his head. Ini-herit strengthened his hold on Clara Kate in a chastising way, but couldn’t prevent a smile. He knew Sophia had deliberately sent the thought to lighten the moment, and sensed everyone else did, too.

  “Okay,” he said out loud. “We all know how strong our bond is. Now let’s go put it to the test.”

  Ariana was asked to once again take the lead in identifying the location of the final scroll piece. Although Ini-herit believed he knew where it was, he couldn’t be absolutely certain. Her second power, on the other hand, was consistent and reliable.

  The trails she perceived that led to the other two scroll pieces continued to be behind them, telling her Eirik was still following them. It was a concern, but she couldn’t worry about that on top of everything else. She had to believe Harold and Derian would find him before he reached them…and if they didn’t, that she was prepared to defend herself and those she loved.

  For the first time, she wasn’t afraid to be the guide on this quest. She no longer felt alone. She had a family, something she’d never dreamed possible. Just as importantly, she had the full support of that family behind her. Whenever doubt or fear crept into her mind, they bolstered her with their thoughts.

  The previous night had been the most amazing night of her entire existence. Considering that spanned more than two centuries of being, it said a lot. She wasn’t about to lose a lifetime of nights like that because of Eirik’s power-hungry ambition.

  Damn straight, Tiege mentally agreed.

  She looked at him and smiled, unwilling to be embarrassed that he had intercepted her thought. He already knew how she felt. Love for him flooded her.

  We’re getting close, Ini-herit thought.

  Ariana returned her focus to her second power. Yes, she responded. The pull is very strong.

  Within minutes, a series of pyramids and buildings came into view. Her mouth opened as she absorbed their grandeur. She hadn’t ever seen anything like this.

  Then her gaze shifted to another structure, something that didn’t resemble a pyramid at all. Her second power pulled her right to it.

  What is that? she thought.

  It’s the Great Sphinx, Clara Kate conveyed with awe.

  Actually, Ini-herit clarified, back when it was constructed, we called it a Ssp-anx.

  Bless you, Tiege offered.

  There was a round of laughter at that. Ini-herit grinned.

  How is it possible that these things exist both here and on the human plane? Tate wondered.

  We recreated them on this plane, Ini-herit answered. We initially thought everyone would live on the mainland, so we began building here. Obviously, that plan changed when Volarius was killed. We created Central instead, but left the structures on the mainland.

  Ariana looked at Uriel and said out loud, “We’re headed to that statue with the head of a male and the body of a large feline.”

  The elder nodded. The Waresti fanned out and began creating a perimeter around the area. It was a little disheartening, Ariana thought, to see that their numbers didn’t measure up to much in the vast desert. It was a lot of territory to cover.

  This Sphinx is more intact than the human version, Clara Kate observed as she studied their goal. It still has the nose and beard.

  This version is protected from the elements, Ini-herit explained.

  I thought the Sphinx was just a huge statue, Tate thought as they neared it. I don’t remember learning about any chambers or anything inside or underneath it. Is the scroll piece hidden inside one of the stones or something?

  The Estilorian version of this statue has many mysteries, Ini-herit responded. It’s larger and more complex. Let’s hope the medallion and my spotty memory can help us.

  Ariana took a deep breath as she considered his words. The unpopulated landscape and enormous size of the surrounding pyramids made the enigmatic statue rather intimidating. She guided them to land in front of the structure. As she extinguished her wings, she found herself unable to look up at it. For some reason, she feared what she would see if she looked into the sculpture’s all-too-real eyes.

  It’s enchanted to make beings uncomfortable, Ini-herit thought. That’s one of the reasons I chose to hide the scroll piece here.

  Tiege took Ariana’s hand. She caught his gaze and gratefully allowed him to pull her into a hug.

  “We’re here,” Jabari said in grave tones. “Now we must decide how to proceed to accomplish our goals and keep Eirik from achieving his.”

  Chapter 34

  Metis’ abilities allowed Eirik and his followers to congregate without detection by their pursuers. They had several close calls, nearly getting caught more times than Eirik could count. He had a number of instances to regret his impulsive kill of Derian’s unfaithful follower, but there was no undoing that now.

  Friedrich’s scouts had gathered the aid of hundreds of Mercesti over the past few days. Because meeting as one group would be impossible under the circumstances, they used a combination of Mercesti scouts and Metis’ mental abilities to communicate about their plans.

  They were close. In just a matter of minutes, Eirik expected to reach the Estilorians searching for the scroll piece.

  “Why is it you intend to confront them now, my lord?” one of the Mercesti asked. “They have elders among them. Our numbers are strong, but their abilities are stronger.”

  Eirik stepped in front of the male and looked down at him. “If they acquire this part of the artifact now, they will surely destroy it. Then the artifact will no longer be of any use.”

  “How will this artifact help any of us?” another male asked. “You claim that you will inherit the abilities of an elder. How will that be any better than what we endured under Grolkinei’s reign? Or Kanika’s?”

  They seek esteem and acceptance, Metis conveyed.

  “Neither of them were elders,” Eirik answered the male, glancing briefly at Metis and keeping his tone level. “They could not compete against the other elders. Therefore, our class continues to be ostracized. I would change that.”

  “Why you?” another Mercesti asked. “Why not one of us?”

  “The Mercesti elder will have to be mentally and physically strong, with a history of effective leadership and the ability to generate loyal followers without relying on force. Can any of you boast as much?” There was a period of silence following that question. Eirik let his words absorb, then continued, “I want our class accepted by the others. We deserve that. Although it might take time to earn our equal place in Estilorian society, I am willing to invest it.”

  Another pause followed. Eirik looked at Metis, but she only shrugged. Either she was unable to effectively read the crowd, or she didn’t care to try. He silently considered and dismissed various ways to kill her, not caring if she intercepted the thoughts.

  Friedrich stepped forward and scanned the beings in the small encampment. “We are all here for a reason. If we did not care about our future and the future of our class, we would not have bothered coming. Many of you have done quite well at removing yourselves from Estilorian society for a long time now. Admit it. We desire change.”

  “Why must this be done with bloodshed?” the first male asked. “If the goal is to become a class accep
ted by the others, should we not attempt to reason with them first?”

  Eirik’s eyelid twitched. “Do you not think we have tried that?” he snapped. “They all believe us incapable of change. They fear us and they want the artifact destroyed to keep us submissive to them. This is our only choice.”

  Frowning, the male considered this, then asked, “What is your plan to acquire the artifact?”

  “Come with me,” Eirik instructed. “I will explain it to you and then you can help implement it. I will appreciate someone with your…sentiment on our side.”

  As Friedrich stepped in to communicate to the rest of the Mercesti, Eirik led the male through the surrounding trees to the edge of a system of caves. When he was certain they were out of sight of the others, he turned to the male.

  “What is your name?”

  “Corwin.”

  “Well, Corwin, our plan is quite brilliant,” Eirik said, unsheathing one of his krises and giving it a casual study. “We intend to take out the majority of our opponents with weapons we will employ from a distance. The devastation will be remarkable. While we slaughter them, we will keep their Waresti and Mercesti reinforcements far away by engaging them elsewhere.” He met the other male’s gaze. “Did I fail to mention that there are Mercesti like you who are loyal to the other classes that I must keep from interfering? Disgusting, really.”

  Corwin’s eyes widened. He reached for his weapon, but Eirik was faster. The other male’s neck was slashed before he could offer a word of protest.

  “Too bad you will be unable to see it,” Eirik thought to add before kicking the corpse into the closest cave and walking back to lead the others to his victory.

  “Where is your second power directing you?” Zachariah asked Ariana as they all stood and stared at the Sphinx.

  She pointed in the direction of the statue’s chest, between its long paws. “There.”

  They all walked the length of the alley between the statue’s stone paws and searched for an entrance. They found a barrier of solid rock.