by Rosalie Redd
Jakar raised his finger, and a long pointy nail extended from the tip. He wagged the gruesome digit in her face. “None of that, now. Remember, we’ve got your dog.” He glanced at Mauree. “See, that’s a taste of her power.”
Mauree tapped her finger next to her lip, and studied Sheri. “Since we’re almost there, you might as well bring her along. Once we win this battle, you can do with her as you please. If she gets in the way, kill her.”
Mauree proceeded along the path. The woods teemed with the enemy, all following their leader. A snapped twig here and there, low whispers, and a few brief shadows foretold of the army marching through the forest. To where?
Jakar pushed her forward, and her fingers sparked again. She wanted to wrap her hands around his throat and give him a good dose of her anger. Her throat constricted. What were the chances she’d survive? Slim at best, but she wouldn’t go down without a fight. If the opportunity arose, she’d grab Coop and run.
CHAPTER 39
Tanen approached the clearing, his ragged breaths heaving in and out of his lungs. Standing next to a large pine, he grabbed the bough’s rough bark and peered between the branches. Sunstones encased in wrought-iron lanterns hung from poles spaced throughout the meadow. Light from the gems glowed through the trees, creating strange dance partners among the shadows.
Roan’s Rock sat at the edge of the meadow, its surface pockmarked from weathering and age. Males and females, from merchants to council members, circled the giant boulder. Familiar faces appeared amid the throng—Noeh, Melissa, Anlon, and many others. An elder female, Chianne, with her hair wrapped in a bright yellow scarf, strode toward the rock carrying a small bowl of filberts. She scooped up a handful of nuts and tossed them onto a flat area of the stone, a tribute to Alora. Tanen’s chest constricted. The ceremony has already started.
A slight breeze blew across Tanen’s cheeks. The stench of Gossum, and an unusual, earthy scent filled his lungs. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he analyzed the smell. The new odor reminded him of bears, but had the underlying aroma of one of his kind. In one of the ancient texts, he’d read about some of the other Lemurian species. Tanen’s gut tightened. Ursus… Were they friend or foe? Another opponent in the war wasn’t what his side needed. If anything, the Keep could use reinforcements. He gritted his teeth.
Focusing his mind, Tanen reached for the connection to the Keep. Rin, open a portal. He didn’t wait for an answer and ran into the clearing. “Attention! Listen up!”
Nervous murmurs bubbled from the crowd, and several participants turned to look his way. The energy from the group heated and shouts of “Tanen” and “traitor” rose in the air.
Tanen raised his chin. “The ceremony is over. I’ve called for a portal. Return to the Keep.”
Noeh stepped away from the mob. His face was drawn, his brow furrowed. His gaze focused on Tanen. “Explain yourself.”
Tanen’s pulse raced. He gave a quick bow. “Your Majesty, it’s not safe here. Mauree is on her way and she has the blue sunstone. I ran into Saar. He knows of the danger. Everyone must return to the Keep.”
Noeh studied Tanen for a long moment. After what seemed like an eternity, he turned to the crowd. “Do as Tanen requests.” His voice boomed across the clearing.
Noeh hadn’t called him “Council Leader.” It was a good indication of Tanen’s demise, but he couldn’t worry about that. Getting the Keep’s residents to safety was all that mattered.
Mist formed in the grass, coalescing, solidifying until the rough stone walls of the Portal Navigation Center appeared. Rin, the Keep’s Portal Navigator, stood over the porte stanen, his fingers swirling over the central keystone. He met Tanen’s gaze. “I din’t believe it when I got yer call. What are ya doing here?”
“Long story, Rin.”
A shrill whistle pierced the air. The warrior signal for danger.
Tanen motioned a group of civilians toward the gateway. “Hurry, one at a time. As fast as you can!”
Screeee. The battle cry from one of the warrior’s swords swirled through the trees. The clashing of metal, feral grunts, and shouts followed close behind.
Screams rose from the mob. In a panic, several males and females ran for the portal.
Chianne fell, her hands and knees skidding on the wet grass. The male at her side gripped her under the arms to pull her up, but others pushed him down in their efforts to flee. In a matter of moments, the couple would be trampled by the crowd. Fear sent adrenaline into Tanen’s bloodstream, fueling his muscles.
He raced into the melee and gripped Chianne around the waist. With a quick tug, he pulled her to safety, a few feet from the racing horde. Her soft sobs built into a loud cry. “Liam!”
Just visible between the fleeing resident, the male scrambled on his hands and knees. Someone’s boot smashed his fingers into the soft loam, and someone else’s knee banged against his ear. He stopped his forward momentum, as if stunned from the impact. Tanen’s pulse raced. He thrust his way into the crowd and gripped the male’s arm, pulling him to a standing position. With determined effort, Tanen pushed their way free, away from the melee.
Chianne wrapped her arms around Liam and glanced at Tanen. Her tear-streaked eyes held his gaze. “Thank you.”
“Hurry, into the Keep, now.” He ushered them along, toward the portal.
The astringent smell of Gossum intensified.
A male merchant screamed, his eyes wide with terror. The group surged forward and pressed those in front against each other. Panicked cries rang into the night and reverberated off the trees. The horde encircled Tanen, dragging him toward the portal.
“No!” Tanen fought the crowd. His need to capture Mauree and return her to the Keep to face her sentence, burned deep inside. He broke through a small gap and escaped the fleeing mob.
As he scanned the edge of the forest, his target stepped from the shadow of a large fir. Their gazes met. An insolent smile broke across her face, and she withdrew the sacred sunstone from her coat pocket. A blue glow lit up the surrounding area. “Hello, Tanen. Thank you, again, for this lovely gift. Now, you can reap what you sowed.”
Tanen’s pulse beat loud in his ears. He’d never imagined his compulsion to steal the blue sunstone from Noeh’s desk could wreak such havoc.
CHAPTER 40
Shrill cries and shouts from the fleeing crowd competed with the drum of pounding feet, squeezing the air from Tanen’s lungs. He focused on Mauree and the blue sunstone in her palm. Two large, imposing males kept close, their mouths drawn into thin lines, brows furrowed. Much bigger and heavier than the Gossum, they were the Ursus he’d scented earlier.
Craya! He hoped the Ursus were allies. Between the Gossum and the Ursus, it seemed Mauree had amassed her own army.
Mauree approached Roan’s Rock and, with her free hand, picked up a rose someone had laid down as a tribute to Alora. A self-assured grin spread across her face. “Ah, roses, such a sweet, alluring scent. Don’t you think so, Tanen?”
“The smell makes me sick—just like you.” How she’d ended up with such a scent was an irony that didn’t escape him.
She smiled, that wicked, sensual grin which used to raise his pulse with want. “And here I thought you had a crush on me. Well, too bad, dear Tanen. I have a better option.” In a sensual tease, she traced her fingers over the arm of one of the males at her side. The skin around his eyes flinched at her touch.
Her focus returned to Tanen. “Seems like females always dump you, don’t they?”
His marking for tenacity pulsed against his chest, and he pulled on the force, letting it build. His hand fisted at his side.
Gossum after Gossum and more of the large, hefty males, as well as a few females emerged from the trees, surrounding the far side of Roan’s Rock. Mauree searched the mob. Her gaze pinpointed its target and a sinister grin formed on her lips. “Look…Noeh! Bring him to me.”
A low, long whistle pierced the air.
Saar and a group of warri
ors, both Stiyaha and Panthera, raced from the pines. They flanked the fleeing civilians, placing a barrier between Mauree and the residents of the Keep.
“Attack! Attack!” Saar’s words reverberated against the trees.
The two groups merged into one giant mass of clashing bodies, weapons glinting and claws gleaming.
A Gossum jumped onto a Panthera’s back, gouging its claws over the panther’s hide. Blood pooled in the welts. The nearest Stiyaha warrior stabbed the beast with his sword, and the creature disintegrated into a pile of sludge.
Several of Mauree’s large males and females transformed into bears, their clothes disappearing underneath their fur. Long, sharp claws extended from their paws.
As fury built in his chest, Tanen let loose a growl. He pulled his dagger from his pocket.
A Gossum landed on his back, knocking him to the ground. Tanen rolled, using the Gossum’s own momentum. Over and over, they tumbled through the grass and small pebbles that littered the clearing until they crashed into a large boulder.
The creature’s grip loosened.
Tanen scrambled to a standing position, his dagger in his grip. His enemy struggled but couldn’t get up. Stark-white and jagged, broken bone protruded through the Gossum’s pant leg. The creature’s scream filled the air.
Over the Gossum’s bitter tang, the scent of fresh linen and lime infiltrated Tanen’s senses.
The muscles in his back and arms tensed. Sheri…
He glanced in the direction of her scent. She stood near the base of Roan’s Rock. Jakar held her hands behind her back. Coop lay at her feet—limp, lifeless.
Mauree raised the blue sunstone and the crystal radiated an iridescent light over the clearing. A shrill cackle eased from her mouth, drowning out the terrified screams from the remaining crowd.
Even as the battle raged around them, Tanen met Sheri’s gaze. Although fear glinted in her eyes, she held up her chin, strength radiating from her pursed lips.
The urgency to get to his female became an overwhelming, driving need. His beast roared, eager to fight, kill, protect. The urge to change rippled over his skin. Synapses in his brain sparked, and the strands to his beast teased his psyche. Although he wanted to release his inner beast, brawn wasn’t the answer. He needed to outsmart Mauree.
Instinctively, his beast growled, as if in agreement—this time.
Having rolled some distance away from the main battle, other than Sheri, no one seemed to notice him. With nothing but his dagger and his wits, Tanen stole into the forest.
Saar evaluated the scene, and his mouth went dry. Several yards away, at the far end of the clearing, an orange glow radiated around the opening to the portal. Inside, Rin swirled his hands over the central keystone and the sunstones that powered the gateway. At the back of the surging crowd, a male merchant pushed against a female, urging her forward. Since only one or two could fit through the opening at a time, the threat of attack had caused a panic among the mob. Screams and cries melded with the grunts and clashes of battle.
Nearby several warriors fought a horde of Gossum. For the moment, the soldiers held the brood at bay, but that wouldn’t last long. Saar tightened his grip on his sword, his need to protect the Keep and all her inhabitants spurning him into action.
An unfamiliar scent wafted by on the breeze and a movement at the edge of the forest caught his attention. Out of the trees emerged a group of males and females. Tall and muscular, their dark hair blended well with their clothing. Were the new arrivals friend or foe?
One female stood out from the rest, her ebony hair tied in a long braid, bits of gold shimmering between the strands. As she evaluated the scene, her hazel-green eyes sparked with marked intelligence. She glanced at Saar and his breath bottled up inside. It was as if she could see into his soul.
One large male pulled a mace from a loop on his belt. Hanging from the end, the menacing spiked ball glinted dangerously. With a loud bellow, he raised the weapon into the air. The group charged, and the leader attacked one of Saar’s males, his mace clashing against the warrior’s sword.
Adrenaline surged through Saar’s veins. He raised his sword and his weapon issued a long warlike screech. Before he could reach the enemy, the cry of a small babe pierced the air.
Saar’s blood ran cold. Prince Anlon.
Saar turned toward the sound.
Queen Melissa, with the young prince in her arms, ushered the diminishing crowd of civilians toward the portal. Saar’s gut clenched. If anything happened to either of them, he couldn’t live with himself.
The muscles in his shoulders tensed. Where’s Noeh?
“Don’t panic. Keep calm!” Noeh’s disheveled hair and the harried lines in his face affirmed Saar’s fears. He helped an elderly female through the portal, then gripped Melissa’s arm.
Saar sprinted toward his king. “Let me assist.”
Too focused on helping Melissa and their son, Noeh didn’t respond. The queen and the prince disappeared through the portal, now safe within the walls of the Keep.
Saar’s throat tightened. He doesn’t hear me.
Saar gripped Noeh’s wrist, forcing the king to look at him. “Your Majesty, return to the Keep.”
Noeh sneered and pulled his dagger from his waistband. “I will fight against our enemy.”
Saar pursed his lips. “As your Commander of Arms, my responsibility is to protect everyone in the Keep, including you.”
If Saar didn’t know Noeh so well, he would’ve missed the small flinch under his eye. A pang of regret twisted inside Saar. He placed his palm on the king’s chest. “Noeh, we need your guidance more than we need your battle skills.”
Noeh’s gaze bore into Saar, his eyes flitting back and forth. He exhaled and wiped his hand through his hair. The look of acceptance on Noeh’s face pierced Saar’s heart deeper than any sword.
Noeh squeezed Saar’s shoulder. “Lead them well, my friend. Report to me when you return.” He sheathed his dagger, glanced at the battle raging in the clearing, then jumped through the portal. No other civilians remained.
Saar exhaled. With the king in the safety of the Keep, he faced his enemy and ran into the fray.
CHAPTER 41
The blue sunstone warmed Mauree’s palm, tingling her fingers with its energy. Situated at the north end of the clearing, Roan’s Rock was the perfect observation point. The steady rise in elevation gave her a bird’s eye view of the activity below. Her soldiers battled in the meadow, mace against sword, fist against flesh, tooth against claw. Gossum grunts echoed through the trees, the ominous sound was music to her ears.
Her soldiers advanced against the Stiyaha warriors and their partners, the Panthera. One of the large cats slashed its claws down a Gossum’s back, shredding his skin. He retaliated, hitting the panther in the shoulder with his barbed tongue. The feline snarled, teeth bared, but the venom worked fast, and the cat developed a pronounced limp. Another Gossum joined in the attack, and the cat didn’t stand a chance. Mauree smiled. Revenge tasted better with a little retribution.
Even though her soldiers advanced on the meadow, her enemies held off the attack, keeping her fighters from reaching the civilians—and Noeh. Mauree clenched her teeth. Noeh deserved to die for imposing the death sentence on her. Not that the punishment wasn’t warranted, but all she’d ever wanted was to become queen. Her chest constricted, her heart hardening into something unrecognizable.
The portal entrance glowed a vibrant orange and the last straggling civilians, including Melissa and her son jumped through the entrance. Noeh stood next to Saar, his hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, his features hardening, then he turned and…
The muscles in Mauree’s shoulders tensed.
“Don’t let Noeh get away!” The bitter words carried across the clearing, but he was already gone. “No!”
Heat flushed through her chest, up her neck, and into her cheeks. She clutched the blue sunstone tighter, and as her anger overflowed, she slammed her fist against
Roan’s Rock.
Pain ricocheted up her arm. She couldn’t move, the blue sunstone riveted in place by some unknown force. A low pulse beat through Roan’s Rock, slow at first, then expanding with each second. The vibrations built until she quivered so hard her vision blurred. A bright light burst through tiny cracks in the boulder’s surface, sending a blue glow over the entire meadow.
The tremors ceased.
Mauree’s ragged breaths came in great heaves.
In her hand, the blue sunstone pulsed, beating in rhythm with the glow emanating from Roan’s Rock.
Screams and cries of terror emerged from the battle. Encased in a blue glow, Stiyaha and Panthera warriors writhed in apparent agony. Mauree focused on Saar. His mouth contorted into an odd grimace, and his sword slipped to the ground. Close by a Panthera lay on its side with its teeth bared. A high-pitched scream issued from its mouth.
All around, Mauree’s recruits appeared unaffected and recovered from their momentary shock. A Gossum stung a Stiyaha on the leg, and an Ursus slashed its claw over a Panthera’s chest.
“Yes,” she screamed, “defeat them! Kill them!” If she couldn’t get her revenge on Noeh directly, she’d do the next best thing—take out his warriors—the Keep’s protectors. The cries of the injured never sounded so good.
A chuckle bubbled up from somewhere deep inside. She let it build until it warped into a shrill scream. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little girl, a remnant of her past, hid deep in her soul, afraid of what she’d become.
When the laugh subsided, she peered toward Noeh’s escape route. Only the edge of the forest was visible at the end of the clearing. The portal was gone.
Saar reached for his sword, and even through the battle cries, his words reached her ears.
“Sword, come…to…me.” His precious sword, his valiant companion, his most important weapon, scooted slowly across the grass. He gripped the weapon in his hand, but his movements were slow, lethargic.