by Missy LaRae
though she was.
Tyler stretched on the bed he was sitting
on and stood up. He couldn’t put it off any
longer. He felt the air thumping around him. He
felt hot, needy. The desire to be outside in the
moonlight was over powering. He’d never
wanted anything more in his life. He’d put off
the need to be in the moonlight all of his life.
He’d felt it when he was younger, calling to
him. He’d tried sneaking outside several times,
but every time he did Mama’d always been right
there. Screaming at him, making him run back
to his room in fear. He knew they weren’t
normal, but didn’t know what to do about it. No one said anything as Tyler left the
room, and for that he was grateful. He didn’t
want anyone telling him it was a bad idea, or
saying that he shouldn’t go out alone. He was
tired of others telling him what to do, and
wasn’t going to be able to meekly do what
someone said ever again. He started to cry, not
tears of pain or hurt, but frustration. Frustration
for all the years he’d put up with his Mama
terrifying him and Lily. Frustration for listening
to her tell his sister that she was dirt, garbage, and wouldn’t amount to anything in her life. Frustration for not lashing out and stopping her from hurting them all those years. He began to run in the hall to the elevator. He stopped and pushed the button for it to go down and waited. He’d been waiting for this moment his entire life. His arms seemed to bulge out, rippling and pulling at the top he was wearing. He wasn’t sure what he was going to wear if he ripped
through the shirt Talon had lent him.
The elevator arrived and Tyler breathed
in deep. Luckily for him it was empty. He
waited the few seconds it took for the elevator
to make it to the bottom floor. He didn’t nod at
anyone. He didn’t politely say excuse me when
he nudged an older man trying to get to the
elevator. He just ran. He sprinted for the doors
leading out to the pool, hoping that no one
would be out there yet. He made it outside and
was frantic to find somewhere to go, somewhere
that he could let the moonlight pour over him. Tyler spied a copse of trees at the edge
of the parking lot, and headed that way. He
knew it was probably not the best place for him
to view the moon, but he couldn’t get to the
roof, and he couldn’t sit out in the open where
anyone could see him. When he reached the tree
line he was breathing hard, his hands trembling. He tore his shirt off, and yelled as his skin came alive. His neck flexed, his back stretched. He felt his skin stretching, and the pain and pleasure of it was excruciating. He fell to his knees, his body taking over. He felt his
shoulders swell, and the bones in his arms seemed to stretch. He screamed out as he felt the moon pulling at him. He was eviscerated in the light. He couldn’t hold himself together any longer. He stood in sharp contrast to the night. His pale skin glistened, rippling with muscles. He spread his arms out, palms flat up towards the sky. He didn’t know if he was going to live through this transformation, but he knew that he couldn’t cower now. He couldn’t back down from what he was experiencing. It was the most divine pain that he’d ever experienced in his
life.
Lily watched from the edge of the tree
line as Tyler transformed. She hadn’t said
anything to him about going outside alone, but
she’d shared a long look with Talon as he’d left
the room and they’d both gotten up to follow
him outside. Whether he was mad or not, Lily
wouldn’t let her twin go outside alone to
transform. She knew what he was about to
experience, but didn’t know what watching him
transform would feel like to her. She felt his muscles growing in her consciousness. She could feel his heart galloping in her chest like it was her own. She sucked in a breath as she watched him raise his face up towards the moon and issue a scream unlike anything she’d ever heard before. She shivered as she watched him transform. He was beautiful. The lean lines of his body were gone and in their place was rock hard muscle. He didn’t look like a body builder, but he didn’t look like he was fifteen any longer either. Since her transformation he’d steadily been growing, but this was different. He looked like a man, not like her twin brother any more. Lily’s breath caught as Tyler’s hair began to shimmer, and change. They’d always had the same color hair, but before her eyes Tyler’s began to darken. It lengthened, growing darker by the second. She didn’t know what color it was, but it wasn’t going to be the light blonde that hers was any longer. She knew that he was at the end of his transformation when he fell to his knees on the ground. He hung his head, and
dug his fingers into the dirt in front of him. Tyler was breathing heavy. He was
covered in sweat, and knew that he had to be
boiling hot to the touch. His skin felt like it was
on fire, but he knew that it would be as pale as it
always was. He wasn’t ready to go back inside just yet. He sat there, kneeling on the ground, hands in the grass in front of him. He felt amazing. He felt at peace. He touched his tongue to his teeth and felt his fangs protruding from his gums. He heard a noise behind him and
sprung up. His senses were on high alert. “Don’t be upset. I didn’t want you to
come outside alone,” Lily slipped from behind
the tree she was standing behind and walked
slowly towards her brother. He was at least six
foot two inches now. She had to tilt her head far
back to look up at him.
“Your hair is black. It’s shaggy, longer
than it was before, but it’s black now.” She was
amazed at his transformation. He looked like a
stranger to her, but she felt exactly the same. He
was her brother, her blood. She reached out and
touched his arm, and peered into his eyes. “Are they black like yours were too?”
Tyler knew they would be but he wanted Lily to
confirm that they were. When she nodded at
him he sighed. He was hoping that he wouldn’t
go into convulsions like Lily had when she’d
gotten back to his room at Evelyne’s house. “You are a Son of the House of Swords,
there can be no doubt.” Talon’s voice came as
little more than a whisper. He was awed at the
transformation. He’d never seen a Syren deprived of moonlight transform. He wasn’t sure anyone had. It was something that he
would never forget.
“Why did you follow me?” Tyler’s voice
was hoarse, ragged from screaming.
“I just wanted to make sure you were
okay,” Lily knew that her voice was shaking but
couldn’t keep the tremor out of it. She was awed
by her brother’s transformation. He looked
completely different. He looked older, more
mature, dangerous.
“Are my eyes black?” Tyler repeated the
question. He wanted to know if he looked like
Lily when he transformed.
“They were, they’re fadin’ now, but
they’re not the same color they were. They’re
still blue but they’re a lot darker.” Lily was
transfixed by how different he looked. She’d
always thought she was looking into a mirror
when she looked at Tyler, and now she felt like
she wa
s looking at someone completely
different. Someone who wasn’t her twin brother
after all.
Tyler sensed Lily’s hesitancy. He didn’t
know if she was scared or if there was
something else wrong with her. He raked his
hand through his hair, feeling the length, and
unsure of why his hair had changed.
“Why did my hair and eye color
change?” Tyler looked at Talon as he asked this. “All Syren change some while they are
transforming. For the most part if you’re born in
one house, you’ll remain the same through your
transformation, but sometimes Amatia has
another path for a soul and you’ll change into
something else entirely. You had Lily’s coloring
before, marking you as a Son of the House of
Dreams, but with your change there can be no
doubt that Amatia wishes for you to be a Sword,
and not a prophet.” Talon tried to give the
shortest and most simple explanation that he
could. He wasn’t used to explaining things to
other Syren, but knew that without his help Lily
and Tyler would be like birds without wings. “We should go back in. I don’t like bein’
out here right now with those people after us.”
Lily was starting to feel something. She felt a
pressing on her chest and wanted to get back to
her room to lay down. She picked up Tyler’s
shirt off the ground and handed to him. She
wasn’t sure she liked how he looked. He didn’t
look like her brother any more. He looked like a
stranger.
All three of them walked back to the
hotel quietly. There wasn’t anything that Tyler
wanted to say. He was more confused than ever. He felt his sister’s sadness coming off of her and was helpless to do anything about it. He didn’t know what to say. He wanted to hug her and tell her that everything was fine, but he didn’t know if that was a lie or not. He couldn’t tell her with certainty that they were going to get out of this okay. He looked up at the sky one more time and sent a silent prayer up that where ever his father was, he would get here sooner rather than later. He and Lily could totally use a miracle.
Chapter 12
Jackson Ti’Druelle sat forward in his
chair listening to the voice traffic come through his headset. He’d been listening to pertinent voice traffic for the past four hours in
expectation of their arrival on Earth. He knew that he looked devilishly weary. He didn’t think he’d slept any since they’d left Amatia Prime.
“How much longer until we’re in airspace above Charleston?” Jackson’s voice was edged with anger. His rage had never left him, merely abated for a time. He didn’t know what he’d find when he arrived on Earth, but he prayed that his children were still alive. According to Asrah they were both timid and distrustful. He hoped that their natural
inclination to distrust people would help them survive.
“We’re nearly there, Highness,” the captain swiveled around in his chair to look at Jackson. “If I time it just right we’ll land at full moon. I don’t want to arrive too early as I think the arrival of a large space ship would be noted by the human population below.”
Jackson grunted in response. The voice monitor beeped, and a communication came through loud and clear. “Earth immigration contacting Star Commander Morell. Please respond.”
The captain turned his chair back to the main control panel. “This is Commander Morell confirming and acknowledging transmission.” His face was focused, concentrating hard on the monitor.
“Earth immigration has a status red priority transport. Subjects are in Asheville, North Carolina in the United States. Reported by Syren Kellen Tedor, an immigrant of four cycles of life. He reported that his son
discovered two unaccompanied Syren matching the description of the missing Prince and Princess of the Kingdom of the Sword. They have taken evasive maneuvers against a status red threat. A transport ship is in flight at this time to take possession of them. Further assistance may be required.” The transportation ended and color left the Commander’s face. He looked behind him at Jackson’s face, and knew at once that they had a new destination.
“Confirming and acknowledging last transmission. Be advised that Aero Ship Avedal One will rendezvous with your transport ship. What is the status of their arrival at the subject’s location?” He reached forward and pressed the button on the ships console that would dump all unnecessary cargo and weight from the ship. They needed more speed.
“Confirming and acknowledging last transmission. Arrival will be in two hours time, prior to full moon. We will assume possession of all subjects and rendezvous with Avedal One at a later time. What is our final destination?” The voice on the other end was emotionless, and for that he was grateful.
“Confirming and acknowledging last transmission.We will meet further south, along the coast of the Florida panhandle. Once you have possession of the subjects radio in and a final location will be given.” The commander started sweating, urging his ship to greater speed.
“What’s our arrival destination, Commander?” Jackson had known Lukas Morell for almost all of the cycles of his life. He trusted him implicitly.
“We’ll meet in the Apalachicola National
Forest. It’s usually empty this time of year, and will offer the best concealment for both of our crafts. Based on our trajectory we’ll enter Earth’s atmosphere from the south western side of the United States. We’ll shoot straight over, and hopefully meet with them the moment that they get there. I anticipate our arrival time to be in exactly three hours and forty one minutes.” Lukas looked at Jackson and could see the fine lines around his friend’s face. He had star traveled many times with his King chasing lead after lead about the prince and princess. He hoped this wasn’t another dead end for them. It would crush his friend, and he was tired of seeing him full of disappointment.
“Lukas, if this ship can go any faster, I’d appreciate it if you could get it moving. Make it sing,” Jackson wasn’t kidding. He didn’t care what they had to do, but they had to be there so he could finally see his children in person. He needed to touch them. He needed to hold them. He needed to see his beautiful mate next to his children. He fisted his hands on his lap and thought about all of the things he’d seen in Asrah’s memories.
He refused to let tears over take him, but seeing his twins’ first steps through her eyes, their first words, their first feeling of pain tore at him. He didn’t know what he’d find when he came face to face with his son and daughter, but he vowed to make right everything that had happened to them.
“My love, what’s going on? I could feel you becoming very anxious.” Alexia stopped behind her mate’s chair and rested her hands lightly on his shoulders. She knew that he was anxious, she could feel it rolling off of him in thick waves.
“We’ve got the twins location. There’s a transport ship on the way to pick them up now. They’re running from someone, probably the Sa’Chaelle.” Jackson stood up and turned to Alexia and hugged her to him. His heart was beating wildly, and he crushed her to him harder than he had in a very long time. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in deep. He’d been mourning the loss of his children for so many years that the possibility of finding them again was something he hadn’t even dared to hope for. He’d held his mate in his arms so many nights, feeling her pain as his own, trying to offer her what comfort he could. He knew that nothing except the return of their children would erase her heartache, or his.
Alexia pulled back and looked up. Her mate’s eyes were troubled, yet there was a profound sense of purpose in them that she hadn’t seen in a very long time. She felt hope welling up inside of her, and she dared to dream again that they could be a
family. She’d been grief stricken when the twins had disappeared. Her grief was a never changing presence that was with her at all times. She couldn’t escape it, and didn’t want to at times. She’d only been twenty two cycles of life when they’d been taken, and she’d grieved for nearly half of her life.
Jackson ran his hand down Alexia’s hair and smoothed it into place. He pulled her with him towards the main corridor and back to their cabin. He needed the solitude that their cabin would provide. It’d been a hard journey for him and he hadn’t been able to sleep much. Every time he closed his eyes he saw visions of Asrah’s twisted face while she was hitting his son or daughter, and he felt again his impotent rage. He wasn’t used to feeling like he couldn’t exact his vengeance upon someone. He knew in his heart that Asrah was misguided, and confused. He knew that she regretted her actions, but feeling that did not excuse the memories that flooded him when he closed his eyes. He didn’t think he could ever look at her again and not feel rage.
Jackson rolled into the dual sleeping pod and brought Alexia in with him. He felt the need to be close to her and never let her out of his sight. He wasn’t sure how the reunion with their children was going to go, but he was more hopeful than ever. He couldn’t wait to see their faces in person. He knew what both of them looked like, but knew they had to be
transforming. He hoped that his son would turn out to be a Son of the Sword like him. At last, heart still pounding, sleep claimed him.
“W here are they Murdoch?” Michael
Richards, who’s actual name was Mikel Argen, looked at the soldier in charge of transporting the twins to the main compound of the
Sa’Chaelle. Their compound had never been discovered, but with the escape of the twins earlier in the day there was no way they could stay there. He’d surprised Lily and Tyler that week when he’d been in Lily’s room when Tyler had opened the door.
He’d lashed out immediately, and disabled them for the briefest moment before dosing them both with Ketamine. He’d known that they were powerful Syren, but their potential was completely unknown. It had taken some time to arrange suitable transportation, but he’d managed to make it happen. He’d had the soldiers meet the van when they’d turned down the drive to the compound, and he’d expected them to fight back, but what they’d succeeded in doing had been nothing short of amazing. They should have been out for at least four more hours, but their bodies had fought off the effects of the drug with alarming speed.