A big man in jeans, a white T-shirt, and black leather cuffs on each wrist stepped forward and took position on his right. Another fell in on his left with a different color shirt and the same cuffs. More filtered in behind them, their Myren energy more dense than the human crowd. If their size didn’t tip the malran off, then the pure mass and energy striding against the flow of bodies toward the bus would.
He could forgo his plans. Vanish and start over. Maybe reach out to Reese after time had passed.
No, he had a mate now. Plans and opportunity to finally gain his revenge. He’d chosen his ship and one way or another he’d steer it.
He slowed and checked the building rooftop. No visible sign of Serena, but her presence wavered through their link exactly where she should be. That meant the ellan were there too, waiting and watching.
Eighty feet to go. Seventy. Sixty.
Eryx ambled from behind the bus, Ramsay and Ludan on either side of him. Another cluster of men strode from the other end, each warrior marked as the malran’s men with a mix of gold and silver cuffs.
The wall of energy at his back lessened, his men falling away as they’d been directed.
Reese stepped from the shadows.
Maxis stopped. He’d expected the twins and Eryx’s somo, but Reese was a surprise. His hair was bound and a mating mark spanned his forearm. Not just any mark, but the winged Shantos horse. Son of a bitch, Serena hadn’t mentioned that little tidbit. He guessed his brother ended up getting his heart’s desire after all. Maybe Reese was right. Maybe things could change.
“Throw your hands up,” Falon crooned in his head. “Give the signal and stick to the plan.”
He should move, step forward and lift his hands in surrender as planned.
“You’re a fool if you think your fate will be as fortuitous as your brother’s.” Had Falon’s voice always been so grating? A brush against the grain?
Reese paced closer, fingers loose at his sides. Dark circles marked the space below his eyes and his cheeks were drawn and hollow. Why?
Movement registered on his left, a splash of turquoise out of place in the crowd and long blond hair. His mate. He should acknowledge her, but he couldn’t look away from Reese. Something held him. Not a physical hold, but something born from emotion.
“You think I’d let you screw us both?” Falon taunted. “Ruin my plans?”
Reese drew closer. Two more steps and Maxis could talk to him, ask him all the questions he wanted and learn more about their mother. He could always throw his hands up after and stay to his plans.
“Look out.” Serena darted forward and shoved Reese away.
An electric bolt shot from beside Eryx, Uther standing behind him as a wicked blue arc emanated from his palm.
This wasn’t the plan.
Maxis dodged left, distrust unlatching his feet from the asphalt.
Serena spun. In her right hand a dagger flashed against the stadium lights, and her face burned in a wild rage. “I won’t let you.”
Pain flared sharp at his chest. Steel grated against bone and vibrated through his torso. He couldn’t breathe. Sound dropped to nothing and people shoved and pulled all around him.
Serena yanked the knife free. It was Serena wasn’t it? Or was it Falon? No, it was his mate, though her eyes were black like Falon’s.
He fell to his knees and his head jerked forward. White edged his vision. His muscles gave way and gravity took over, his body surrendering to a thick, unyielding weight. His head smacked the ground, no pain issuing beyond a dull rattle in his skull. The white crept closer, the black sky above him barely bleeding through.
Reese hovered above him. His mouth moved, but no sound registered. How fitting to have him here. A comfort.
He shook on a rough exhale, and the white took over.
* * * *
“Maxis.” Reese rolled his brother to his back, the frenzied crowd knocking into him on every side. He pressed his palms against Maxis’ wound. “Galena!”
Humans screamed and pushed around him. Behind him Ramsay and Ludan barked orders. Beside him Eryx wrangled Serena.
“I had to do something. It was a set up.” Serena flailed her arms before Eryx clamped them in a brutal bear hug. “He’d have killed Reese if I hadn’t stepped in.”
Warriors circled to create a protective wall.
“Ramsay, get Reese and Maxis out of here.” Eryx slung Serena over one shoulder and zigzagged through the crowd toward the isolated spot they’d picked for their portal.
Reese pressed harder on the wound, his gut cramping from the pain ripping inside him. Maxis had been close to surrender, Reese knew it to the root of his soul. The hope and raw vulnerability in those last seconds had made Maxis look as innocent as a five-year-old child.
“Reese.” Galena’s voice reached through the dark shroud choking him. “Reese, look at me.”
Blood coated his hands, thick and warm. “He was almost there.”
“We gotta go, man.” Ramsay kneeled beside them. “Eryx fried all the closest electronics, but that’s not gonna buy us much time. We’ve got smart phones everywhere.”
Galena covered Reese’s hands with hers and squeezed. “Reese, we have to go. We’ll take him with us, but there’s nothing you can do. He’s already gone. You can’t save him.”
Reese coughed to cover the sob that pushed up his throat and levered himself off his knees to a crouch. He lifted his brother’s dead weight off the asphalt. His shoulders and biceps shook, still weak from his flash out the night before, but he cradled Maxis close. “I think we already did.”
Chapter 30
Padding from Galena’s bathroom, Reese swiped a thick cotton towel down his chest. Steam billowed out behind him and his skin still stung from the scorching shower. The castle was the last place he wanted to be, but with all the madness going on he’d capitulated to Eryx’s “request” he and Galena stay close. As if anyone would go against the malran’s wishes.
He paused at the open window. Galena’s suite sat on the corner of the third story in the royal wing and gave a perfect noonday view of the ocean beyond. Twelve hours since he’d watched his brother die and no real sleep to speak of, but at least he was alive.
The image of Maxis’ body stretched across an ebony marble slab at the warrior compound flashed cold and eerie in his head. They’d left him in the jeans, white T-shirt and boots he’d worn to Evad, a rusty crimson stain covering most of his torso. Reese laughed to himself. Maxis would have thrown a fit if he’d known he’d die in human attire. Maybe Eryx would look the other way and let Reese give his brother a funeral pyre, one at the homestead where he’d said good-bye to his mother.
The door latch clunked behind him and the wind drafted through the open window as the door opened.
“A naked fireann fresh from the shower.” Galena nudged the door closed with her hip, hands full with a tray of pastries and coffee. “No complaints from me.” She picked up a steaming coffee mug and sauntered to him. “I come bearing food.”
“And news?” He wrapped the towel around his waist, took the mug, and pulled Galena close.
“Lots and lots of news. I ran into Lexi and Orla in the kitchen.” She tilted her head back for eye contact. “Eryx has all kinds of problems on his hands. For starters, humans are spouting stories to the press, some of them accurate, some of them closer to a sci-fi flick. Second, the ellan are in a panic over the exposure to humans. And finally, Serena’s under arrest and telling anyone who’ll listen her actions were to protect you and the Myren race from the rebellion.”
She stepped away and headed for her own coffee. “She swears everything was an act, a desperate endeavor to shield the malran she’s always loved, despite him choosing another woman over her.” She blew across the surface and took a cautious sip. “Lexi’s so pissed, Eryx had to order Ramsay to keep Serena under guard at the compound for her own safety.”
No question who’d win that contest. H
e’d lay everything he owned on his new malress.
Galena stared at him across the mug’s rim and took another drink. “She says Eryx wants you in the throne room in thirty minutes.”
A jolt shot up his spine. “She say why?”
She sat her coffee down and strolled back to him, head tilted at a playful angle. The attempt at casualness didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You haven’t done anything wrong. He probably just has questions for you. Whatever it is, we’ll face together.” She rubbed his sternum. “Then we’ll go home, spend some time alone and get you healed up.”
Every part of him zeroed in on her touch. “Then let’s get it over with. I’ve got a fresh deed and a new mate who needs attention.”
Reese dressed and focused on the promise of time alone with Galena. He could deal with Maxis and the fallout of the events in Evad later.
They neared the closed throne room doors and his worries crashed through all his peaceful thoughts. “Kind of a formal place for questioning.”
Galena squeezed his hand. “Probably busy with ellan. The old ones love anything with pomp and circumstance.”
He opened the doors. No ellan waited inside, but a host of others stood waiting. Ramsay and Ludan were up front along with some folks he’d seen around the castle. A young girl Galena had called Jillian hung next to Brenna, and Lexi’s friend from Evad, Ian Smith, kept a space beside her. He knew Ludan’s father, Graylin, from his training days, and Orla he remembered from running with Ramsay.
At the center were Eryx and Lexi, seated on their thrones and decked out in full regalia. Reese stepped forward and focused on Galena’s hand in his. How quickly she’d become his anchor. “They’re wearing crowns. Doesn’t look like anything straightforward or simple to me.”
“Not everything has to be negative,” she answered. “Just go with it.”
At the foot of the dais, he drew to a halt. He started to kneel, but Galena tightened her grip and shook her head in a barely perceptible move.
“This isn’t how I wanted to do this, but things are about to get hectic.” Eryx shot a quick grin at Lexi. “I thought we’d better take care of an important detail before we all move into damage control.”
“You mean Serena?” Reese nearly kicked himself at the thoughtless question as soon as he saw Lexi’s glower.
Eryx hung his head, more to hide what Reese suspected was an even bigger grin from Lexi. When he lifted it, the only levity was in his eyes. “Serena’s one. Human relations are another.”
“That woman’s a snake.” Lexi gripped her armrests. “I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her.”
“A wise statement from your malress, Eryx.”
Every head spun toward the unexpected voice at the back of the room.
Clio stood, dressed the same as she’d appeared the first time Reese had seen her. “Serena’s path is yet unclear, but her actions weren’t her own. Not entirely.”
Eryx spoke from behind Reese. “And you are?”
“My name is Clio.” She smiled at Reese, a tiny one that hinted of secrets still untold, then focused on Eryx. “I believe Reese has shared with you the existence of my race and our purpose.”
“I thought you couldn’t show yourself to anyone else.” The statement slipped out before Reese could censor it, his second snafu in under five minutes. At this rate he’d end up banned from family functions.
“I said I was only allowed to show myself to you, not that I wasn’t capable. Given the weight of the action I’m about to take, The Great One has granted an exception.” She floated to Reese’s left, no footsteps, or swinging arms, just the subtle fan of her hair where air brushed it. “Before I take my final step, I wanted to support my warrior’s claims and implore you to carry on with the wisdom he shared in your battles.”
“Wait a minute.” Ramsay stepped forward. “How could Serena’s actions not have been her own? I saw her drive the dagger home.”
“Reese told you of the dark rogues?” Clio said. “Those who strive to let the dark passions rule?”
Hesitant nods issued all around.
“One of them crossed an unforgivable line. Falon was Maxis’ guide through much of his life. It was he who guided Serena’s thoughts. In the final moments, he overpowered her will and forced the blade into Maxis chest. Crossing that line makes his existence forfeit. It also negates the weight of the deeds he’s managed to incite to date, thereby greatly restoring the balance between light and good, not to mention putting a nice dent in the dark rouges’ plans.”
Clio surveyed those gathered. “The balance of dark to light is now well in hand, the larger crisis averted.” She zeroed in on Eryx and the air cracked with tension. “Have a care though. Your exposure to humans promises many new and challenging obstacles, and it is only a matter of time before the prophecy begins to unfold. Falon may no longer be able to guide Serena’s mind, but we don’t yet know her guide going forward and how they might use the Rebellion in their schemes.”
“Final step.” An uneasy sensation slithered down his the back of Reese' neck. “You said, ‘before I take my final step.’ What does that mean?”
Clio tilted her head, pensive. “All aspects of light and dark must be kept in balance. If a dark spiritu is lost, so must a light spiritu go with him. I volunteered, so I’ve come to say good-bye and to witness the acknowledgement of your faith and good deeds, the detail the malran has called you for today.”
Eryx smirked from his perch. “So the spiritu can see into the future?”
“We see it as it is at any given moment, but free will can and does shift. We also talk amongst ourselves. Remember, you and your mate are not without your own spiritu.” She lifted one eyebrow, an imperial gesture that put Eryx’s to shame. “How else do you think we managed to guide you to your mate?”
Eryx’s smirk stretched ear-to-ear. “Fair enough.” He stood and picked up an onyx box from the small table situated at this right.
Lexi rose and followed Eryx down the dais steps.
Ramsay and Ludan strode to either side of them and stood at attention.
“Reese Theron, come forward.” Eryx’s formal intonation rumbled through the long hall and the bystanders near the windows straightened.
Prying his hand from Galena’s grip, he stepped forward.
“Kneel.”
Reese went to one knee and his stomach clenched. His heart pounded and a slow cramp built behind his sternum.
“Do you pledge yourself to uphold the tenets of our race?” Eryx said. “To protect our citizens and stand as guard between those with and without power, maintaining the balance as The Great One commands it?”
The warrior’s oath. A swearing in. He peeked from his bowed head at Ramsay for some kind of confirmation.
Ramsay stared dead ahead, but his mouth twitched. “Eryx’s patience is pretty shot. Might want to step it up with the answer.”
Shit, it was the oath. And Ramsay sounded, well, like Ramsay again.
Reese swallowed as best he could and forced his lips to move. “I give my vow.”
“Will you follow and fight as your malran and strategos direct without hesitation? Placing none but your family before them?”
Family. He had that now, and so much more. “I give my vow.”
Eryx handed the black box to Lexi and raised the lid, lifting a warrior’s torc from within.
An odd tingling spread across his collarbone and down his arms, and his shoulders snapped back. Not just a new recruit torc, but the white gold of an elite. The Shantos winged horse sat etched in onyx at its center, and platinum bars lined either side.
He caught Eryx’s smug expression and quickly bowed his head. Stupid. He knew better than to break protocol.
“You’re family now,” Eryx said in a way that implied he didn’t mind the break in decorum. “The platinum seemed fitting.” He shifted behind Reese and lowered the torc over his head. The metal settled around his neck. “Jus
t so you know, this is a formality. Ramsay said he’d made his decision before you left. He didn’t want his acceptance to look like a trade in exchange for your efforts, so he chose to wait.”
Eryx stepped out from behind him.
Reese chanced another glance at Ramsay. The only change was a subtle lift of his chin, an extra inch to the already proud slant.
“Stand.” Eryx offered his hand, palm up. A warrior’s greeting.
Reese took it and when Eryx clenched his forearm, a part of Reese’s soul locked in place.
Eryx nodded. “Welcome to the fold, briyo. You’ve earned it.”
Galena came up on his right and clasped his upper arm, a smug expression aimed at her brother. “I’m glad you finally came around to my way of thinking.”
Ramsay stepped in, palm outstretched. No witty remarks, no formal congratulations, just an unspoken olive branch and awkward quiet. Ludan followed next, formal yet disconnected, as though he’d suffered through one too many of these formalities.
“You’ve done well, Reese.” Clio drifted toward him in her ghostly way. The midday sun sparkled off the crystals adorning her brow and the bottom of her soft-white dress fluttered on a nonexistent breeze. “While not without its challenges, serving as your guide has been a pleasure. One I would volunteer for again should time be replayed.”
But she was leaving, not just him, but this life through no fault of her own. “You shouldn’t have to give up your existence because of something someone else did.”
Clio smiled and the whole room lightened, the same as when the sun came out from behind a thick cloud on a summer day. She cupped the side of his face and traced his cheekbone with her thumb. “Who says I don’t relish this step into the afterlife?”
Deep, abiding love spread through him, an all-encompassing warmth like what he’d felt from his mother as a child only more so. An emotional equivalent of a down blanket and a fresh summer rain.
Healing Eden Page 27