by Rosalie Redd
A sad smile pulled at her mouth, softening her features. “Noeh…all I ever wanted…was to be…your queen.”
A moment later, Mauree’s body turned to sand, the fine grains slipping through Noeh’s fingers.
The blue sunstone burned hot in Gaetan’s palm. A bright blue light emanated from the gem. He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white with strain. “The catalyst is the blue sunstone. Whoever possesses the magical gem shall command the other elements, Roan’s Rock, and the power within.” The words from the ancient text rushed through Gaetan’s mind. Muscles in his arms and legs tensed. “Nicole, Sheri, Melissa, hurry! Touch Roan’s Rock.”
Sheri placed her palms on the stone’s rough surface. Melissa did the same, but the shield around them was gone.
Screeeee.
The clashing of swords rang in the air.
“Hurry, Gaetan. I’m not sure how long we can hold them off.” Noeh brought his sword down, slicing through a Gossum’s extended tongue. The creature screamed and its wet appendage flopped into the tall grass.
Beyond Noeh’s shoulder, several Gossum sprinted across the meadow. Their long claws and serrated teeth a promise of certain death.
Gaetan gripped Nicole’s hand. She peered at him, determination, love, and acceptance reflected in her beautiful green eyes. He tugged her forward and together, they darted the last few feet to Roan’s Rock.
Nicole placed her palms on Roan’s Rock between Melissa’s and Sheri’s. An eerie tone emanated rose from the giant rock.
The astringent scent of Gossum intensified, burning Gaetan’s nose. They were out of time.
Pulling on his inner strength and his love for Nikki, he slammed the blue sunstone against Roan’s Rock.
A rumble started under the earth, shaking the ground. He wrapped his arms around the three females, using himself as a barrier should any of the Gossum get past Noeh and Tanen.
The water at the base of Roan’s Rock bubbled. Electrical sparks flickered over the rough surface.
The air shimmered, a protective barrier forming around them.
A flash of blue lit up the sky, and an audible pulse wave burst from the stone, ricocheting across the meadow.
Gaetan’s ears rang, blocking out all sound. His labored breaths rushed in and out of his lungs. He glanced behind him to Noeh.
The king held his sword over his head, his fingers gripped around the hilt. His eyes widened for a moment then he blinked.
Gaetan’s gaze tracked beyond Noeh into the meadow. Warriors glanced around, shocked expressions on their faces.
There wasn’t a single Gossum in sight. Their enemy was gone, destroyed in an instant.
The war was over.
Hard and fast, a wave of relief travelled along Gaetan’s nerves. His legs shook from the force.
Still pinned against Roan’s Rock, Melissa and Sheri stirred. Nicole turned around, and he tugged her into his embrace, holding her tight.
Another pulse erupted from Roan’s Rock, followed by a second then a third. The energy waves rippled over the meadow. A slow reverberation shook the Earth.
Gaetan drew Nicole away from the boulder. Noeh and Tanen approached, each embracing their mates.
Shouts from the warriors in the meadow and Noeh’s deep voice penetrated through the cotton in Gaetan’s ears.
“Look!” Noeh pointed upward, toward the tip of Roan’s Rock.
His gaze rose along with the others. From the boulder’s top, a blue shaft of light trailed into the atmosphere, disappearing into a small pinpoint of light.
“It’s beautiful!” Nicole pressed into Gaetan’s chest, and the sweet aroma of melons wafted into his senses. He breathed in, enjoying her unique scent, the one branded into his soul.
Cheers, whoops, and hollers erupted from those in the meadow, as well as from those standing near him.
“We did it, didn’t we?” Nicole brushed a finger down his cheek.
A sense of well-being and happiness swelled his chest. He gripped Nicole’s hand and planted soft kisses along the back of her knuckles. The little rhinestones in her bracelet picked up the light, shining like small stars. “Yes, I think we did.”
She smiled. “Just like Ginnia said we would.”
His chest constricted for a moment, the old guilt pinging against his heart.
“What is it?” Nicole gnawed on her lip.
“Ginnia—”
She placed her finger alongside his mouth. “Shh…Gaetan. She told me to tell you she doesn’t blame you, that she enjoys being the seer.”
He stared into Nicole’s eyes, assessing her, searching for the truth in her words. His calming influence wound into her and rebounded back to him tenfold. She told the truth. Ginnia didn’t blame him.
The heavy weight he’d borne for most of his life lifted from his shoulders. He’d never felt so relieved, so free. “Thank you.”
“Oh, Gaetan—”
He tugged her close. She melded to him, her breasts pressing against his chest, lighting up his nerves. Blood pumped through his veins, his desire for his sweet Nicole filling him. He cradled her head in his palm and kissed her, telling her without words what she meant to him. She returned his kiss, opening up to him, giving him all that he’d ever wanted, ever needed. He loved her more as each moment passed and would never have enough of her.
Noeh cleared his throat.
Nicole drew away, a soft sigh easing from her lips.
He met Noeh’s gaze.
“You’ve done well, old friend. We couldn’t have won this war without you.” Noeh yanked him into a big hug, patting him on the back with one arm.
Rawness coated the back of Gaetan’s throat. He closed his eyes, accepting the affection from the one male he loved like a son.
Noeh pulled away. His gaze slid to Gaetan’s neck then flicked to Gaetan’s eyes. “Seems you’ve claimed a mate. This confirms what I suspected. The mating bond is what allows us to connect with our beasts. Congratulations, by the way.”
Gaetan’s mind spun. “Wh…what?”
“Your bands. Looks like you have a good relationship.” Noeh winked at Nicole.
Gaetan touched his throat. “Bands. Plural?”
Noeh blinked. “You have two.”
How did that happen? He’d only had one before. A tingle raced up Gaetan’s arms. Maybe he’d earned the second one after the physical claiming. He peered at Nicole and the mirror image of his marking on her left hand. Yes, the bond connecting them tightened.
Melissa placed her hand on Gaetan’s arm. “Congratulations. Anlon will be glad to see you as well.”
Gaetan raised his eyebrows. “Anlon?”
“When he went through the portal, he ended up on Lemuria. Through a special, um, circumstance, Alora was able to send all three of us back to Earth.”
Although Gaetan had searched and searched, never to find the prince, the little babe had been safe all along. The last hollow in Gaetan’s chest disappeared, filling with relief. A realization hit him, sending a ripple over his shoulders. His quest wasn’t for naught. Along the way he’d found Nicole, himself, and a love everlasting. Happiness swirled inside, and he drew her close, holding her tight, never wanting to ever let her go.
Noeh wrapped his arm around Melissa’s waist. His brow furrowed, tension lines forming around his eyes. “Speaking of Alora, now that we’ve won the war for her, shouldn’t we return to the character board?”
A painful ache started in Gaetan’s chest and radiated down his arms. He’d just found Nicole, his mate, the love of his life. There was no way he wanted to leave her now. He tightened his grip around his cane, and he pounded the tip into the dirt. “No, no, no…this can’t happen.”
Yet, deep inside, he couldn’t ignore the truth. The war was over, and it was only a matter of time before they all returned to Lemuria.
CHAPTER 40
A lora dashed across the platform surrounding the largest Rolmdew tree in the Lemurian forest, her feet skimming over the wooden plan
ks. A tratee fly buzzed around her head. The small creature provided extra illumination along the path. Out of breath, she didn’t bother to wait until her heart rate calmed. Instead, she rammed her knuckles against the wooden door.
The hinges squeaked as the door opened. Light from inside cast the greeter in darkness. Even still, she recognized his form.
“Alora, glad you could make it. You’re late, as usual.” Radnor’s mouth twitched, and his mustache curled, yet his eyes were full of warmth. “Come in. We were about to start without you.”
Alora smoothed her dress, the one she’d picked from Elise’s closet with the beautiful Coletta flowers. As she stepped inside, the murmurs silenced.
Several council members sat around the revered table. All drew their attention to Alora.
She swallowed and raised her chin, refusing to let them see her unease.
“Alora is here. We can start the meeting now.” Radnor held out his hand for her to proceed.
As she drew further into the room, the sharp sound of glasses clinking stopped her. Standing next to the elaborately carved bar along the far wall, Zedron raised his goblet in mock salute.
“Hello, Alora.” He smiled. His white teeth contrasted with his dark suit, which matched his blackened heart.
Alora fisted her hand around Mitan’s recording device. “The game isn’t over yet.”
He arched an eyebrow, shrugged, then sipped the red wine from his glass—muldoberry wine.
Radnor sat in his seat at the head of the table and rapped his mallet against the aged wood. “Zedron, you requested this meeting. Bring forth your charges.”
“Wait!” Alora raised her hand. “I have—”
Radnor’s mouth thinned. He brought the gavel down once, twice, three times. “No interruptions, Alora. Your turn will come. Now, sit.” Although he was her father-in-law and loved her dearly, he was a stickler in council meetings.
She exhaled a frustrated breath, her pulse pounding behind her eyes. After a forceful strut, she sat in one of the chairs lining the room. Her heel tapped against the floor, beating with her nervous energy.
Council member Tomra cleared her throat. “I have a hair appointment in,” she glanced at the clock on the wall, “forty-five minutes. Let’s get on with it, shall we?”
“Yes, dinner is waiting for me at home.” Betain, a muscular male council member with short brown hair and a cleft chin, pursed his lips.
Alora furrowed her brow. How could the council members be so callous? The fate of humankind rested on the outcome of this meeting. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from lashing out at them. Instead, she tightened her grip around the disk.
Zedron set his glass down on the bar and swaggered toward the character board. His dark suit, with its fine weave and tailored sharp lines, lent him an appearance of authority. He met her gaze and winked.
She hated the arrogant male all the more.
With an air of nonchalance, he roamed his gaze over the nine council members. After he’d looked them all in the eyes, he pointed to the character board. “If I may, Council Leader Radnor.”
Radnor inclined his head.
Zedron swiped his hand over the table. The wood expanded in breadth and width, displaying the characters in the game in the form of small dots—red for him, green for Alora. He pressed his finger to a single green dot and the image of an Ursus female with long dark hair, a yellow cloth interwoven in her braid, emerged onto the screen. “This female character, Kaelyn, is an Ursus female. Note that she bears a green emblem, an indication she is on Alora’s team.”
Radnor raised an eyebrow. “I fail to see the significance. State your claim or we’ll disband this meeting.”
“Forgive me, Council Leader.” Zedron gave Radnor a slight bow. “The issue here is that after Alora’s second offense at cheating, she transferred the Ursus to me. Kaelyn should be my character, but as you can so clearly see, she isn’t.”
Alora leapt to her feet. “You dirty kasard—”
“Quiet!” Radnor slammed the gavel against the table. The wood shook from the force.
Gasps and soft cries erupted from the council members.
Radnor pointed at her, his gaze narrowing. “Don’t say another word until I ask you to speak. Otherwise, I’ll award the game to Zedron. Do I make myself clear?”
She swallowed, nodded, and sat down once again. The ache in her chest burned.
A smirk curled Zedron’s lip, and the urge to punch him there made her fingers flinch.
“Alora cheated. She coerced me to give up Kaelyn in exchange for one of my recording devices Alora obtained through theft. This is her third offense. I graciously ask the council to name me as victor in the war over Earth.”
An eerie silence settled over the council chamber.
Alora stood and opened her mouth, eager to tell them her story.
Radnor held up his hand. “Just answer my question and only my question.”
Her heart sank. She closed her mouth, biting down on the words.
Radnor stood and approached her, pain etched around the lines in his eyes. “Did you or did you not use coercion to obtain Kaelyn in the game?”
She exhaled. “Yes, but—”
“That’s your third offense, Alora.” He shook his head. “The council has no choice but to cast an immediate vote that Zedron is the win—”
“Wait!” Alora’s pulse spiked. Something happened in the game, she was sure of it. Before anyone could stop her, she ran to the character board and cast her palm over the screen. Green lights filled the display. There wasn’t a red dot in sight. The war was over. “I won…”
Zedron cleared his throat, drawing her attention to him. “No, you did not. You cheated. I won the war!”
“Silence! The council will vote—”
“No. I have proof here,” Alora held up Mitan’s recording device, “that Zedron is a murderer.”
Loud gasps erupted. Several council members rose from their seats, chairs scraping across the wooden floor.
“Nonsense!” Zedron yelled.
“Order! Order!” Radnor banged his gavel, silencing everyone in the room. He focused on her. “Be careful, Alora, false accusations carry a heavy penalty of one hundred consecutive days in your dark place.”
“My claims aren’t false.” She held the disk between her fingers so everyone could see. “This is Mitan’s recording device. It will substantiate my charge.”
“Not possible!” Zedron strutted toward her, his expensive tailored shoes pounding against the floor. He raised his hand as if intending to snatch the disk from her hand.
She palmed the small object just as his fingers whisked through the air. Zedron’s sneer revealed his true nature, and a shudder ran down Alora’s spine.
Radnor clamped his hand on Zedron’s shoulder, preventing him from invading her personal space. “Sit down. I, as I’m sure the rest of the council, am eager to hear what Alora has to say.”
Murmurs of assent rose from the council members as they reseated themselves.
Zedron strode to a nearby chair, but didn’t sit. Instead, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. A malevolent glow ignited in his eyes.
Alora wiped her palms down her dress, straightening the fabric. The Coletta flowers reminded her of Veromé and his love and support for her. As she inhaled, the walls of her chest expanded, giving her the courage and determination to see this through. She prayed the device would work.
“Council members, Radnor,” she raised her chin and strode before them, “in this device is all the proof I need that Zedron killed my childhood friend Mitan.”
The visus bacin in the corner of the room, with its large hand-carved rock bowl and beautiful clear water, was the largest one she’d ever seen. A mirror hung from the wall above the bowl, so the council members could watch what transpired below. Never had she been given the privilege to use the sacred scrying bowl. She pointed toward the basin. “May I?”
Radnor nodded. “Of course.”
She approached the bowl, forcing herself to walk at an even pace. There was no way she’d let Zedron make her nervous anymore. She placed her hand on the basin’s worn edge, the polished rock smooth to the touch.
Without any further delay, she tossed Mitan’s recording device into the bowl. It sank to the bottom, and a ripple undulated across the water until a small splash of water careened over the basin’s edge.
Alora closed her eyes and swirled her hands over the water, concentrating on the image she’d seen, willing it to come to life. After a long moment, the water bubbled, the familiar sound feeding Alora’s drive, fueling her need for retribution.
Some of the council members whispered amongst themselves.
Alora opened her eyes. The image of Mitan and Zedron appeared in the water, reflecting in the mirror. She turned to look at the council members, studying each one as the scene progressed.
Along the wall, Zedron edged toward the exit. His gaze darted around the room before settling on her. She shook her head. As much as she wanted to bring Zedron down, the death of her friend, Mitan, was a high price to pay.
When Mitan’s final scream reverberated through the chamber, Zedron bolted for the door.
“Stop him!” Radnor shouted.
Several of the council members lurched from their seats. Betain tackled Zedron to the ground.
A loud cry burst from Zedron’s throat. Trapped under the larger male, Zedron struggled to free himself.
Radnor approached Betain. “Drag him to his feet.”
Betain gripped Zedron under the arm and yanked him to a standing position. Her nemesis jerked his arm, but Betain refused to release him.
“Zedron. Based on the evidence presented by Alora, I place you under arrest for the murder of Mitan.” Radnor motioned to the doors. “I’ve called for guards. They’ll arrive any moment, so—”
A knock on the chamber door reverberated through the room.
“Allow me.” Tomra strode to the door and tugged on the handle.
The door squeaked open and two guards stood in the entryway. “You called, Councilor?”
Betain hauled Zedron toward the door. “Take this scum to the holding cell.”