Zaureth chuckled before sobering. “I love you more than breath, my mate. Always know that.”
“I do know,” Amy whispered, her heart in her throat. “My love for you is immeasurable, endless…eternal.”
Chapter Five
Zaureth watched as two dark-colored vehicles pulled into the mouth of Aukrabah’s entrance. He’d been told they were called conversion vans.
He tightened his hold on Amy’s hand and glanced over her head at the crowd waiting to board.
Noticing a red-faced Fiona glaring straight ahead, Zaureth sank into Gryke’s mind. “I take it your mate did not want to go?”
“That is putting it mildly,” Gryke shot back with more than a little sarcasm. “She is furious with me that I refuse to budge in this.”
Zaureth glanced down at the top of Amy’s head and then met Gryke’s gaze once more. “My mate does not want to leave either. But she understands that I cannot protect her here in the event of a war. And war is coming. Soon.”
“I know, brother. I explained this to Fiona. But she is confident that she would be more help to us in Aukrabah instead of on the surface.”
“You made the correct decision,” Zaureth assured him. “Worry for your mate would distract and weaken you.”
Gryke merely nodded, turning his attention back to the black vans up ahead.
Zaureth pulled Amy close, his heart aching over the fact that his Amy would be leaving him soon.
He had no idea how long they would be separated, how long the war would last, or how many lives would be lost.
But not Amy’s, he silently vowed, keeping his thoughts to himself. If he had to die protecting his people, at least his sweet Amy would live.
The driver’s-side doors opened on both vans. Two men stepped out wearing military attire and approached with caution.
The shorter of the two spoke directly to Klause, who stood in front. “Are you the king of Aukrabah?”
“I am,” Klause responded, his deep voice echoing off the walls of the entrance.
Nervously clearing his throat, the guy held out his hand. “My name is George Vickers, sir. I’m part of the presidential security group out of Pensacola.” He jerked his chin toward the guy on his left. “This is Rick Satterfield. How many are we taking back with us?”
Zaureth noticed the king’s shoulders stiffen a second before he growled, “I am to hand over my grandchildren to you? Where is President Pratt? He should be here to see to their safety.”
Vickers’s bravely held his gaze. “I’m sorry for any misunderstanding, sir. But the president doesn’t—”
“There is no misunderstanding!” Klause snapped, taking a step toward Vickers.
Thrasher quickly stepped between them before Klause ripped the guy’s head from his neck. “Sire. Things are done differently on the surface. The president has millions of people to protect, millions who depend on him. With that kind of responsibility comes danger. The man has an assload of enemies waiting to put a bullet in his head. He can’t just jump in the car and drive down here.”
Klause continued to stare at Vickers. “I have enemies as well, but I would see to the safety of my people. I would not hide behind others when it comes to their safety.”
It wasn’t lost on Zaureth the way Klause referred to the Aukrabah-dwelling humans at his back as his people.
Thrasher took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I understand, Sire. But the land walker way is a hell of a lot different than the Bracadyte way. Humans carry weapons that could take out multitudes at once. From hundreds of yards away. It’s cowardly and wrong, but that’s what they do. The Bracadytes are honorable in all things, including war. So, you see? If Pratt came down here to personally escort everyone to safety, he’d not only be in danger himself, but he would endanger every soul in his care.”
Klause held his stance for a moment longer before taking a step back and turning his attention the crowd behind him. He met the gaze of each and every one and then spun back to face Vickers. “Where will you be taking them?”
Vickers relaxed. Slightly. “We have a safe house close by here in Destin. It’s a fortress and heavily guarded. Melvin knows the location.”
With a nod, Klause once more turned to the crowd. He lowered to one knee and held out his arms toward Arcanum.
The toddler let go of Hauke’s leg and ran to his grandfather.
Klause lifted the boy high against his chest, speaking softly in his ear.
Arcanum nodded as if he understood the king’s words, his small head moving to lie on Klause’s shoulder.
Abbie began motioning for the women and children to follow her to the vans.
“I don’t want to leave you,” Amy whispered, holding tightly to Zaureth’s hand. He’d opened his sight to her, allowing her a visual of what took place around them.
But his sight would do her no good where she was going. “I do not want you to leave me, either, my love. But it will only be for a short time. We will be together again soon.”
“You can’t know that,” she argued, her anxiety tearing at his heart. “If something happens to you—”
“Nothing will happen to me. I will do what must be done to bring you safely home.”
“Amy?” Mallory called, holding her tiny son and making her way toward her sister. “We have to go, honey. Everyone’s waiting.”
Zaureth lifted his mate off her feet and pressed his lips firmly against hers. “I love you,” he sent to her mind. “I love you with everything inside me.”
“I love you too,” she mentally returned, her voice a desperate whisper though his mind. “Please be safe.”
Instead of relinquishing Amy to her sister, Zaureth broke off the kiss and carried her to the van door.
He set her gently on the back seat, buckled her in, and kissed her once more. “Reach out to me once you arrive at the safe house. I love you.” With that, he stepped back to allow Vaulcron to assist Mallory and Regium into the vehicle.
It nearly killed Zaureth to turn and walk away, but he had no choice. If he stood there another second, watching the tears gather in Amy’s eyes, he’d end up yanking her out and running away with her. And that could never happen. If even one of his brothers died because of his selfishness, Zaureth could never live with himself.
So, he threw his leg over the closest ATV and drove back to the belly of Aukrabah.
Chapter Six
Amy felt the moment the van pulled away, leaving her precious Zaureth behind.
The tears she’d been fighting since leaving her home spilled from her eyes to roll down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry,” Mallory soothed, her arm going around Amy’s shoulder. “Everything will be all right. I promise.”
Amy could hear the insecurities in her sister’s words, knew that Mallory attempted to console her, even through her own doubts.
Blinking back her tears, Amy laid her head on Mallory’s shoulder, refusing to point out the obvious. They were being carted away from the very danger their mates would be in. No one could promise they would be okay. Not even Zaureth.
Regium made a cooing sound, momentarily bringing Amy out of her misery. “May I hold him?”
“Of course,” Mallory assured her, shifting around in her seat.
Amy straightened, holding up her arms to accept her tiny nephew’s slight form.
The feel of his small, soft body squirming against her brought a smile to her otherwise broken heart. “I love how he smells.”
Mallory helped her adjust Regium to where his head rested in the crook of her elbow. “I love his smell too. And he has that baby breath I can’t get enough of.”
It felt good to hear the happiness in Mallory’s voice. Especially as she spoke of her newborn son. Amy had never thought the day would come that her sister would have a child of her own. “It’s still surreal to me.”
“What is?” Mallory tucked some of Amy’s hair back behind her ear.
“That you have a baby.”
; “It sure is, little sister. And I cherish every minute of it.”
Amy bent and kissed Regium’s soft cheek. “I know you do.”
“You just wait until it’s your turn. You’ll be the best mother ever.”
Amy swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. To have a child with Zaureth would be a dream come true.
But then, anxiety reared up once more. How could she possibly take care of a newborn baby? She had no sight. No matter that Zaureth helped her with that; he couldn’t be at her side twenty-four hours a day.
Mallory must have sensed her fears. She gently touched Amy on the shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Not wanting to add to her sister’s worries, Amy shook off her doubts and sent her sister a reassuring smile. “Nothing. I’m just thinking about Zaureth and the others back home.”
Abbie leaned up from the seat behind them, her voice close to Amy’s ear. “I’m worried too, Amy. But if there’s one thing that eases my mind in this whole situation, it’s the fact that Zaureth is with them. Though the Bracadytes can hold their own, with Zaureth in their corner, they’re nearly untouchable.”
“I hope you’re right,” Amy murmured, adjusting the baby in her arms. “God, I hope you’re right.”
Abbie briefly touched Amy’s shoulder. “I am.”
The van slowed to a stop a few minutes later before the driver announced, “We’re here.”
Amy passed her nephew back to Mallory and waited until the side door to the van rolled open.
“Ma’am,” a masculine voice announced, a voice Amy recognized as Vickers. “Take my hand and I’ll help you out.”
Holding her hand up, Amy allowed Vickers to assist her from the van.
She waited for the others to disburse, grateful for the feel of a palm touching her elbow.
“My bags?” Amy questioned, wondering who’d been gracious enough to assist her.
“The men are bringing our things inside.”
Recognizing Josie’s voice, Amy relaxed, allowing Josie to lead her to the safe house. “Thank you.”
Josie made a sound in the back of her throat. “You don’t have to thank me, hon. The pleasure is mine.”
Amy thought about Josie’s condition. “How far along are you?”
Slowing her steps, Josie took hold of Amy’s arm and guided it to her stomach. “I have a couple months to go.”
The feel of Josie’s protruding belly brought another worry home for Amy. What if the war lasted months or even years? What if something happened to Braum? Not only would Josie lose her mate, but their baby would lose its father.
Not wanting the other woman to pick up on her fears, Amy concentrated on the feel of the ground beneath her feet, the sponge-like grass she walked on.
The sound of a door opened, and cool air touched Amy’s skin.
“Step up,” Josie quietly told Amy as she led her inside.
Vickers cleared his throat from close by. “I figured we would put Miss…?”
“Her name is Amy,” Josie informed him.
“Right. I figured we could put Amy in a room down here where she wouldn’t have to use the stairs.”
Amy was grateful for his sensitivity to her lack of sight. “Thank you, Vickers. That would be very helpful.”
Though she couldn’t see Vickers, she felt his nod. “Right this way.”
Guiding her by the elbow, Josie leaned in close. “You should have seen him blush. Either he’s never met someone blind before, or he’s nervous around women.”
Amy grinned at Josie’s lack of couth. She appreciated Josie’s humor. She also recognized it for what it was. An attempt to lighten Amy’s heavy heart. “Thank you for being you. You’re—”
“In here.” Vickers’s voice broke off the rest of Amy’s words, no doubt saving Josie the embarrassment of a response.
He continued speaking. “The room is small, but it has pretty much everything you should need. There’s a call button next to phone on the nightstand. The bathroom is just inside to your right. Make yourself at home while I see to the others. I’ll have your bags delivered shortly.”
Amy thanked him, declining Josie’s help to see her inside. “I can take it from here. But I appreciate your assistance. You’re a good friend.”
“Anytime,” Josie responded, waiting for Amy to move fully into the room. “I’ll see you soon.” She closed the door behind her.
Left alone in the clean-smelling room, Amy held out her arms, feeling her way around and making mental notes of her surroundings. She found the bathroom, the bed, call button, phone, and a TV remote.
She moved to the bed and dropped heavily onto the soft mattress.
Lying back, she opened her mind to Zaureth. “We made it to the safe house.”
Zaureth entered her mind instantly. “I have been with you every step of the way.”
“I felt your presence, but I didn’t connect with you for fear you would sense my anguish.”
“Your anguish,” Zaureth quietly admitted, “is the very reason I held back from communicating with you. I did not want to make things worse.”
“You could never make things worse for me, Zaureth. Never. The thought of your presence in my mind is what will keep me sane in the coming days without you.”
An uneasy feeling assailed her. “Zaureth?”
“My precious Amy, our connection will be severed once the war begins. I—”
“Severed?” Amy mentally cried, cutting him off. She sat up so fast her head spun a little. “What do you mean, severed?”
“You must hear me in this, little one. I cannot remain open to you during a battle. It would not only weaken me, but it would distract me from my purpose. I must, at all cost, stay focused. Too many lives will be at stake here.”
With her heart hammering wildly, Amy threw her legs over the side of the bed. Zaureth planned on cutting off communication with her.
But the truth in his words couldn’t be denied. She would weaken him. She knew that. No matter how much losing her link with Zaureth would hurt, it had to be done. “I understand, my love. I also don’t want you worrying about me. I’m fine. They have me in a room downstairs. It has a call button and all the amenities I need.”
She could feel Zaureth’s relief at her confession.
“I have to go, my mate. Klause has called the warriors to the training room.”
“Okay. Contact me when you are able.”
“I will. I love you, Amy Brighton.”
Amy’s throat constricted. “I love you, Zaureth.”
Chapter Seven
It took enormous strength for Zaureth to sever the connection he had with Amy. He felt as if he were abandoning her.
She had no sight, which left her vulnerable in a world full of land walkers bent on harming one another.
Of course, it wasn’t only the land walkers seeking to harm. The Arkadians were now joining in the insanity. And they wanted war.
Well, if it was war they wanted, Zaureth would give it to them…right down their idiotic throats.
A strange feeling abruptly overcame him. He stared around the catacombs, unable to focus on one particular object.
His surroundings began to fade, and even Amy’s sweet scent became so faint he could barely smell her any longer.
He lowered himself to the floor, suddenly able to hear his own heart thumping in his chest.
His eyes rolled back in his head, and a strange humming began to echo through the room.
It took a moment for Zaureth to realize the sound came from him and another to allow the darkness to fully overtake him.
His body began to vibrate—a feeling he’d only felt a small number of times and only during meditation.
But he hadn’t been meditating this time. In fact, his mind hadn’t been on anything but Amy since she’d left.
Then why…?
Kryten’s face appeared behind Zaureth’s closed lids, angry and full of vengeance. A fiery, red glow surrounded him, symbolizing rage and retrib
ution.
Behind Kryten, for what seemed like miles, were hundreds of blond Bracadytes, wearing nothing but sharkskin shorts and knives. More warriors than Zaureth had seen in previous visions.
They were close, he realized, the longer he remained on his knees in the darkness. Too close. At the rate they were moving, they would arrive in Aukrabah within fourteen moons.
Aukrabah didn’t stand a chance against an army of that magnitude. Even with Zaureth’s help, they would be slaughtered to a degree they’d never recover from.
Zaureth slowly came back to the present, his stomach tied in knots.
He pushed to his feet and strode from the catacombs with one thing on the brain… finding Klause.
Entering the training room where Klause would surely be, Zaureth sought out his king and moved to stand at his left. Gryke stood at the king’s right as he always did.
“Sire,” Zaureth greeted in a low tone.
Klause met his gaze, his expression both determined and somber. “You have news?”
Zaureth quickly filled Klause in on what he’d seen in the catacombs, ending with, “Many will die, my king. They intend on taking lives, as many lives as possible.”
“Have their numbers changed?” Klause questioned, still holding Zaureth’s gaze.
“Aye. I do not know exactly how many, but if I had to guess, I would say close to a thousand of their best warriors.”
Klause didn’t blink. “There is naught we can do but fight.”
“But, Sire, the females and their young—”
“Bracadytes do not harm females and children,” Klause interrupted in a deadly soft tone. “Not even Kryten is that deranged.”
The Arkadian king’s face flashed through Zaureth’s mind. “You did not see him, Sire. He glowed of vengeance and…death.”
Klause turned to fully face the healer of Aukrabah. He slowly lifted his hands toward Zaureth’s head and murmured, “Show me.”
Zaureth stepped in closer, lowering his head before his king, not only as a show of respect but also submitting to allow the king into his thoughts.
Zaureth Awakened: 11.5 (Enigma) Page 3