by Tabke, Karin
“Sharia, tell us the secret of the ghost walkers.”
The dome went graveyard silent. She glanced at Falon whose hand trembled in his. Her big blue eyes shone full of fear. You have nothing to fear, my love.
She didn’t answer. He turned back to Sharia. “Tell us.”
“’Tis said that for the souls of the Lycan slain since the first rising to rise again, they must be called by one who possesses the sight.”
Rafe looked at the crowd. “Falon possesses the sight.”
A collective gasp washed through the dome.
“What else?” Rafe directed.
“’Tis also said that the one who possesses the sight must also be of the two bloods: the blood of the slayer and the blood of the slain.”
Rafe’s eyes narrowed. Not Mondragon and Vulkasin as he thought? Confused he looked at Falon, then back to Sharia. “What are you saying?”
“Slayer blood and Lycan blood, the two bloods.”
Rafe looked at Falon who had blanched white. “I don’t understand,” Rafe protested. “Falon is Lycan and human. My Vulkasin and Lucien’s Mondragon blood courses through her veins.”
“And Corbet,” Sharia whispered.
Gasps raised the roof.
“It’s true!” Lucien shouted. “Fenrir used Balor Corbet’s blood to save her life! It was the only way!”
Rafe nearly died of relief. He had forgotten that very important fact. Falon’s knees buckled, and he caught her before she fell.
“Falon,” he said worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
He watched her struggle for composure. “I— It’s been a long day.” Gently he handed her to Lucien, and turned back to Sharia.
“What must she do to raise the ghost walkers?”
Sharia was focused on Falon and he saw something akin to shock dawn in her old brown eyes. It terrified him, but he pushed forward. “Tell us!”
“On the night the Blood Moon rises she must fortify herself with the Eye of Fenrir, and with the Cross of Caus shed her own blood on the very earth that holds sacred the blood of the first dead. With the power of the ring she must call upon the gods to restore the lives.” Sharia paused and glanced at Falon then continued. “If she is pure of heart and truly of the two bloods, they will restore the lives. If she is not, there will be no rising of souls.”
“What do you mean pure of heart?” Rafael asked, confused. Her love was pure, was there something else?
Sharia looked at Falon again, and said shakily, “She can have no secrets.”
Falon fainted in Lucien’s arms. The crowd surged forward.
“Falon!” Lucien and Rafe said at the same time. Sharia rose and touched Falon’s brow. “She is fine, just overwrought. Let her have this time. She will need it.”
Confused Rafe looked to his brother for explanation. Lucien shook his head as much at a loss as Rafe. If she was not in harm’s way . . . He looked at Sharia, who held Falon’s limp hand between her old ones. “Finish what you have come to say, Rafa,” she whispered. “Then take her from here, and keep her under guard until she is better.”
Rafe nodded, and turned back to face the restless crowd. He raised his hands to quiet them. “My purpose here today is many fold. To discuss the obvious, the rising. To inform those of you who were unaware that Thomas Corbet and Fenrir are more powerful than ever, and chomping at the bit to destroy every Lycan on the planet. But also to give you hope by revealing the power of the three.” He held his right hand up to show them the ring. It flared crimson. “It contains untold power. It heeds my commands. It will lead the way. It will raise the souls, but most of all, it is at its most powerful when the power of the three are physically connected.”
He inhaled then exhaled slowly. “Earlier this morning, the council rightfully rescinded its death warrant on Lucien. Sasha Ivanov had a problem with that. He had other issues with me and my chosen one. Several hours ago he attacked Falon, she fought him off, and when my brother and I learned of it, we handled it. Sasha Ivanov is no more.”
Growls of indignant approval rippled through the dome along with many disgruntled ones. “We are all aware of the penalty for killing an alpha, but Sasha was hell-bent on killing an alpha himself. He claimed he had the blessing of the council to do it in the form of a secret assassination request made by the council.”
Roars of anger nearly brought down the dome.
“We did not endorse such a command,” Sharia defended the council.
“Maleek is gone,” Rafe said, looking at the crowd. “He is kin of Ivanov, and I suspect Maleek took the law into his own hands and approached Sasha with the lie. But I am not sure of anything until Maleek is found. And now that same council whose integrity has been compromised is calling Lucien out for killing an alpha when all he was doing was protecting his chosen one, also an alpha, against a murderer.” He let his words sink in, then finished with, “The only transgression I see here is Sasha’s and until we can prove otherwise, Maleek’s.”
Hundreds of heads nodded in agreement. “In light of what we are up against, and the simple fact that we need our numbers to remain strong, I hereby call upon the council to set aside any trial or acts currently in motion so that we use these next three weeks as a time to hone our skills and strategize against the Slayers and Fenrir and not fight amongst ourselves. I ask what Lucien did to Sasha be accepted as an eye for an eye in that it was Sasha’s intent to kill Falon whether at the council’s behest or acting alone.”
Sharia looked over her shoulder to the elders who had stepped behind her. There was no need for any of them to confer; Rafael owned the floor, and nothing short of agreeing with him would fly.
“There will be no charges,” Sharia said.
Once again as they departed the dome the crowds parted like the Red Sea had for Moses. When they cleared the crowds halfway home, Rafe said to Lucien, who carried Falon’s limp body in his arms, “Do me a favor, Lucien. Don’t fuck any Slayers, don’t kill any alphas, and try really hard not to stir up shit between any of the other packs. I’m not sure I could convince our saint of a mother, much less the entire nation, to let you walk again.”
Lucien grinned. “I can’t make you any promises, Rafe, but I’ll try.”
Moments later they were met by their pack healer, Talia who ushered them into their lodge, pointing to the bed of pelts. “I want you two out of here. One of you is enough to handle but the both of you? Poor Falon probably needs a year’s vacation.”
Rafael watched from the foot of the bed as Talia gently tended to Falon. She looked pale and innocent. Vulnerable and suddenly frail. His heart swelled painfully with love. He looked at Lucien who had the same intense look on his face as Rafe felt.
We have been selfish with her, Rafe said.
Lucien squatted down beside her and smoothed her hair from her cheeks. I forget sometimes because she is so powerful that she is a woman first with all the same vulnerabilities.
And pregnant, Luca. She carries an heir.
“Get out of here both of you!” Talia hissed.
As they lifted the flap to exit, they nearly knocked Layla over. Rafe stopped short, sniffing her muted scent as if she were trying to cover it up.
“Is she all right?” Layla asked worriedly, trying to look past both alphas’ shoulders.
“She’s exhausted,” Lucien said. Rafe heard the regret in his voice. He felt the same way.
At the same time, they moved aside, and Rafe held the flap up and said, “Go to your daughter, Layla, we’ll be close but we don’t want to stress her out with our hovering presence until she’s stronger.”
Layla nodded and moved past them.
As they stood side by side, they were met with loud cheers and warm welcomes from their packs.
Rafael grinned. “Well, I guess that’s one thing we’re not going
to have to worry about,” he said to Lucien as he slapped him hard on the shoulder.
“Looks like the arrangement stands.”
Twenty-eight
DAYS DRAGGED BY and Falon had not come out of her exhausted state. Lucien paced outside the tent most hours of the day, many times bumping into his brother who was just as vigilant. When it became apparent that Falon became more restless when either one of them was near her, they spent more time out of the abode and took to sleeping in cots outside the front flaps.
Layla and Talia tended her day and night and on the fourth day, Sharia made an appearance in a litter.
Lucien shooed the Amorak assisting Sharia away after the litter settled on the ground before his lodge. He swept her from the seat into his arms. The old woman smiled and held on while Lucien set her gently down on the ground.
“Greetings, Sharia,” Lucien said, grinning.
“You always were the cheeky one, Lucien.”
“Some things never change.”
Her brown eyes grew serious. “I’m concerned your chosen one has not come around.”
Lucien nodded. “Talia says she doesn’t want to. I don’t know why. We did what she wanted. Rafael and I haven’t been fighting over her, in fact, we’ve been damn civil about this arrangement.”
“I know it must be hard for you both.”
“It is hard but easier than I thought. Hell, I can’t believe it’s working as well as it is.”
She had to stand on her toes to touch his cheek. “You and Rafa share a love only twins share. Growing up, you two shared everything. It does not surprise me you found a way to share the woman you both love.”
“Apparently we shared too much of her between us. Physically wearing her out combined with the stress of the coming rising, I think Falon literally feels the weight of the world on her shoulders.”
The old woman nodded gravely. “She is right to feel that way because it is.”
It was not in Lucien’s nature to feel helpless, but with Falon refusing to surface because of all that awaited her, he felt beyond helpless to pull her back. She needed to be here working side by side with him and Rafa, showing their solidarity, her strength, her poise, and her confidence. The nation needed to witness through all that was her that they could win the fight.
“Where do the packs stand with yours and Rafa’s arrangement?”
“They have reunited. Rafe and I share alpha responsibilities.”
Her eyes smiled as she nodded. “That is wonderful news, Lucien. I am proud of you both. Your parents would be proud of you, too.”
Lucien’s excitement spiked. “I would give anything to see them again.”
She grasped his hand and squeezed it. “You may yet if we can get your chosen one to open her eyes. She is key to everything, Luca. Without her standing with you and your twin, there is no chance of surviving the rising.”
“I know.” He extended his hand to the open tent flap. “Have you come to see her?”
“Actually, I came to speak with Layla. Is she inside?”
“She has not left Falon’s side.”
“Good. Then if you don’t mind, I will have my talk with her.”
* * *
THEY ENTERED THE tent, and Sharia immediately caught Layla’s guarded stare. Sharia smiled, and looked past her to Talia who stood as she realized who walked into the room. As an afterthought Layla rose and nodded respectfully.
“Sharia,” Talia said warmly, clasping her hands and guiding her to a chair near Falon’s bedside. “I’m so happy to see you.”
Sharia smiled. She’d always loved and admired the beautiful Lycan healer. Talia came from an old line of powerful spirit healers. She was loyal to both brothers and Sharia never once believed she had been held against her will by Lucien.
“You please these old eyes, Talia. You look more like your mother every day. She would be proud of you.”
Tears glittered in the girl’s amethyst-colored eyes. Wiping her cheeks, Talia smiled through her tears. “Can I get you something?”
“No, no. But if you would not mind, Talia, I’d like a word in private with Layla.”
Talia cast Layla an odd look but nodded and exited, closing the flap behind her and Lucien.
Sharia looked across Falon who had lost noticeable weight. Her cheeks had hollowed and dark smudges circled her eyes. When she looked up at Layla, the Lycan glared at her.
“Why so hostile, Layla?”
“I don’t need your hocus-pocus. I can take care of my daughter just fine.”
Sharia looked at Falon, then back to Layla. “And a fine job you’re doing. She’s wasting away to nothing.”
“I feed her soup, it sustains her until she wakens.”
“Does she know?” Sharia asked pointedly.
“Does she know what?”
“About her father?”
Layla gasped. “What do you mean?”
“Does she refuse to face her reality because of the nightmare that is her heritage?”
“Speak simply, Sharia.”
“Does she know Thomas is her sire?”
“That’s a lie!” she said, looking away.
“You are the only one with lies.”
Clasping her shaking hands together, Layla hung her head and slowly shook it.
“I often wondered if he had killed you. But when I saw Falon for the first time, and I saw her eyes, I suspected. When her power was revealed, I suspected more. But it wasn’t until the day she fainted that I knew the truth. She was terrified her secret would be revealed. She is the one of two bloods, Corbet and Vulkasin. With the exception of her hair and skin tone, she is all Corbet. I’m amazed no one else has recognized it.”
Layla raised tired weepy eyes to her. “When you are in love you see only what you want to see.”
Sharia nodded. “As you did with Thomas.”
“And as do Rafael and Lucien. They love her with every fiber of their being. It will destroy them when they learn the truth.”
“But for her to raise the ghost walkers she must have a clear heart.”
“We do not need the ghost walkers to win the day.”
“We? Do you stand with your people or your lover?”
“He is my husband!”
“You did not answer the question.”
“I cannot live in his world. They will slaughter me and my children.”
“Children?”
“I have another daughter.” Layla gasped, as if just now realizing something. “She is also of the two bloods and pure of heart!”
“That may be, but she is not of Vulkasin blood. Falon carries either Rafael or Lucien’s child, either way it is the Vulkasin blood of her child and Vulkasin blood given to her by both brothers when she lay at death’s door.”
“Thomas has given her an ultimatum. She has just a few days left to tell Rafe and Lucien or he will.”
“He thinks he can force her to his side?”
“He wants a chance to be her father.”
“That time has long passed.”
“I cannot make him see that. He wants his daughter with him. Willing or not, he will force her hand.”
“And she will kill him.”
“No!”
“What Falon does not understand is that even with her father’s death, her secret must be told if there is any hope of raising the ghost walkers.” Sharia moved closer to Falon and put her hand on her cool brow. “It is time to wake, Falon. More hearts will break than Rafa and Luca’s if you do not.”
Falon moaned, shaking her head.
“Wake up, girl, and face your destiny.”
* * *
HOURS LATER, FALON opened her eyes. The first person she saw was her mother.
“Leave m
e,” she said, quietly but firmly. When Layla blanched, Falon struggled to sit up in the bed and pointed to the door with a shaky finger. “Now!”
“Falon, please,” Layla begged.
“Get out.”
Tearfully, Layla stood and ran from the tent.
“Falon?” Talia said as she entered the tent followed closely by Lucien and Rafe.
She struggled for composure. As she did, the reality of her life came crashing down around her. Heartache mushroomed in her chest, pushing painfully against her lungs and rib cage. She sobbed and fell back against the soft fur pelts.
“Angel face,” Lucien cooed as if she were a baby. He knelt down on her left side and took her cold hand into his big warm one. Rafael knelt on her right and took her other hand and brought it his lips.
“My love,” Rafa whispered. “You’ve scared twenty years off my life.”
She tried to smile, but her throat constricted as tears slid down her cheeks. It broke her heart as they tried to soothe her. Together, one at a time, then together again. Finally, when her crying became hysterical, they stood back and looked to Talia for help.
“Go,” she said. “Bring all of her favorite foods. I’m going to clean her up.”
And like she was a baby, Talia shampooed her hair and bathed her. Wrapping her in a warmed sheet, she helped Falon to one of the sofas, changed the sheets on the bed and threw fresh pelts on it.
Never once did Talia ask her to speak. Never once did she question her, and for that Falon was eternally grateful. She was afraid if she was questioned all of her fears and anxieties would come pouring out of her. Finally, as Talia added logs to the fireplace, Falon reached out and caught her hands and started to cry all over again. Talia took her into her arms and soothed her, rocking her gently.
“Falon, whatever it is, you need to get it out. Holding it in like this will kill you.”
“It would be better if I were dead.”