Vengeance Born (The Light Blade #1)

by Kylie Griffin

  Put him in. The image of her father staring at her from behind the steel barred door was vivid. I want to see her feed.

  Even with her five-year-old enhanced senses, Annika saw his violet eyes glowing with satisfaction as his warriors unlocked the door to the room and shoved the boy inside. She couldn’t stop the memory. Hot tears burned beneath her eyelids as she remembered wrestling the older boy to the ground, the sound of her ravenous hunger coming out as a savage snarl. Shuddering, shame burned through her as she denied the final death scene to replay in her mind.

  A groan rumbled up from deep inside her. Her stomach clenched then spasmed. Mid-formation, the groan became a growl; frustration and hunger escalated. Over by the door she heard Rissa’s breath catch. Annika curled even tighter in an attempt to control the animal growing stronger inside her. Her soul shriveled at the thought of history repeating itself.

  The boy had been a stranger, one of the many slaves in the fortress. Too young, too innocent. Tears slipped from her eyes.

  Rissa was a friend. One of too few, precious and cherished. More tears tracked over Annika’s cold cheeks at the thought of attacking her. She’d welcome death at the blade of any sword if she killed her friend.

  With all her heart, Annika prayed that Kalan would find her in time.

  “I’VE had a dozen Patrols scouring the countryside since the first report was made this morning.” Kalan waved at the map spread before him as his gaze swept the table.

  All the Councilors were present as were many of the more senior warriors of the Light Blades. With the final search report in less than two hours ago he wanted to squash any rumors before they became evening gossip over the dinner table. The delegation of Guild-officials had been an indication of the panic that could swell if half-truths were allowed to spread. He didn’t need a city full of frightened people, not now.

  “You can see where they’ve been searching. The valley, the hills and farmlands beyond. None have seen or found any evidence of Na’Reish attack force.”

  “They may be farther away…” Davyn’s calmly delivered comment drew his gaze to the man. “Who knows how far those scouts traveled?”

  The older warrior wore a self-satisfied smirk as he sat back in his chair, relaxed, the only Councilor not leaning over the map. The map he’d been so intent on seeing when he’d stormed in at the earlier meeting.

  “Councilor, none of the Outposts have sent a report of a Na’Reish army making its way toward us.” This came from one of the Light Blade warriors to Kalan’s left. He nodded his thanks.

  “They wouldn’t if they’d been caught by surprise.” Yance sucked in his cheeks, making his gaunt face seem emaciated. “They could’ve been slaughtered by several raiding parties. That would leave the way open for Savyr to move an army across the border in the dead of night. Have you sent riders to check?”

  “Yes. Our fastest ones have been dispatched.” While Kalan’s reassurances did little to ease the worry on Yance’s face, his thin lips flattened out from their tightly pursed position. “I expect the first to report to me early tomorrow morning.”

  The doors to the Inner Council Chamber opened. Kalan glanced up as one of the guards entered, the expression on her young face a combination of apology and surprise.

  “Pardon the intrusion Lady’s Chosen. The Temple Elect wishes to address the Council.”

  “Send her in.” He’d received word that Kymora had still been occupied in the temple when he’d called the meeting. Unwilling to disturb her at her duties he’d started without her.

  The young guard cleared her throat and looked back over her shoulder. “She’s not alone, Chosen.”

  He nodded. “It’s all right, Shanna.”

  Yance drummed his fingers on the table, impatience obvious. “If there’s no evidence of an invasion force then how do you explain what the original Patrol saw?” He tugged at his tunic, the only indication he was uneasy. “They gave detailed descriptions of four Na’Reish warriors. Did they imagine them?”

  “Not at all, Councilor Yance.” Kymora’s voice spoke clearly over the mutterings his comments drew. “They did see four scouts, only they weren’t Na’Hord.”

  People shifted in their seats to face the Handmaiden. Kymora entered the chamber, her hand resting on the arm of a tall, broad shouldered companion. The hooded cloak was pulled low over the face of her escort so that it concealed their identity. He saw her hand tighten on her escort’s arm. A large, masculine hand lifted to push back the hood.

  A gentle smile lit Kymora’s face. “Our warriors saw four Na’Chi scouts.”

  Chapter 24

  KALAN heard the blades of nearly a dozen warriors being drawn and chairs scraping back as almost everyone shot out of them. Shouts of surprise and anger filled the Inner Chamber.

  “Varian has the Lady’s protection!” Kymora’s cry could be heard over them all.

  “Stand down!” Kalan hurried around the table. Alarm flooded him when he saw the dark-haired Na’Chi pull his sister in front of him as a human shield. A dagger was clutched in his other hand, and his lips were drawn back in a silent snarl. Kalan stopped short at the implied warning.

  “That animal threatens our Temple Elect!” The growled comment came from Davyn. “Kill him!”

  Kalan flung out his arm, staying the warriors who moved. “There will be no blood shed in this chamber!”

  “Varian only threatens me because you’re all blinded by emotion!” Kymora made no move to struggle or free herself from the Na’Chi. “He seeks sanctuary for his people, just as Annika did.”

  “There are more of them?” Candra’s astonishment was reflected in the expressions of those around her.

  “She lied to us!” Corvas hissed, his dark eyes flashing with anger.

  “Annika never knew about the other Na’Chi.” Kymora frowned. “There is so much I have to tell you…”

  Kalan’s gaze connected with the Na’Chi’s. His violet eyes were cold, intelligent, assessing and confident, the flecks of color barely distinguishable, like he had tight control over his emotions. Thin temple woven braids held his jet-black hair back from his hard, angular features. A jagged scar ran from the corner of his eye to the bottom of his dark stubbled jaw.

  The man stood eye to eye with Kalan, his lean, hard body exuding the lethal strength of a warrior. The relaxed grip of his arm around Kymora’s waist was deceptive. Had he wanted to, he could’ve slain her the moment the first blade had been drawn.

  Kalan was the first to break the stare. He looked around at his warriors. “Why are you all still armed?” Startled gazes met his; a few had the grace to look shamefaced. “The Temple Elect has granted Varian Her protection. Sheath your weapons and resume your seats.”

  He waited until everyone had followed his direction.

  “Yevni, two more chairs. We’ll continue this meeting and listen to what the Temple Elect has to say.”

  Ignoring the fact that Varian still held his sister hostage, with a gesture he invited the young Na’Chi to join them and went back around the table to his own seat. The tension was palpable as they all waited for Varian to make a decision.

  “Today I’ve observed your people in the streets, at the market, and now here.” Scorn laced the Na’Chi’s quiet statement. It thickened as he continued speaking. “You all fear what you don’t understand and it dictates your actions. A warrior must be in control of his emotions at all times if he’s to make sound judgments.” His lips curling in disgust, he released Kymora and sheathed his dagger. “Are you sure these are the leaders of your people, Handmaiden?”

  Kalan almost grinned as Varian’s deserved insult reminded him of the day Annika had squared off with the Council. Candra was not so restrained. Her hearty laughter filled the chamber and she slapped her hand against the table.

  “Lady’s Breath, are all Na’Chi so forthright in their opinions?” the woman asked, her eyes sparkling as she met his gaze. “Kymora, you said there were more where this young man came from? T
hen I, for one, look forward to meeting them.”

  Her lighthearted comment eased some of the tension. His stance and gaze still wary, Varian helped Kymora to the seats set aside for them.

  “Does anybody care that this… Na’Chi has admitted to being in the city all day and only now has he chosen to reveal himself?” Davyn raked his gaze around the gathered warriors. “Or that sympathy toward these demons seems to run in the Tayn family?”

  Davyn’s antipathy and deliberate provocation stroked Kalan’s temper, especially as it ratcheted up the tension Candra had worked so hard to dispel.

  Kymora turned her head toward him, her glare heated. “I suppose you’d walk into the Na’Reish fortress bare-handed asking to see their Na’Rei, Councilor? Who would blame Varian for being wary of a people who ignore the promise of sanctuary to draw their weapons against him?”

  “Davyn.” Kalan’s voice carried clearly across the table.

  “Chosen?” The man stiffened in his seat, his gaze locking with Kalan’s.

  “Show the Temple Elect the respect due her. I won’t warn you again.”

  Silence fell, broken only by the sound of someone’s chair creaking. Davyn’s pupils dilated, a darkness flickered in his eyes, and, for a moment, Kalan believed he was about to be challenged but then the man’s face blanked of all emotion.

  “My apologies, Temple Elect.” The smirk returned as Davyn deliberately leaned back into his chair. His behavior caused the hairs on Kalan’s neck to rise. What did he find so amusing? “Address the Council. Take as much time as you want…”

  His sister straightened, her lips pursed, and Kalan wondered if she would rebuke Davyn, but then she inhaled a deep, calming breath. “I believe I’ll begin with reminding you all of the words the Lady spoke to me… Another Journeys with him. Her presence is necessary. She threatens all we know but must be welcomed. As do those who come after her. My children must survive.”

  “So, the Lady was referring to Varian and the other Na’Chi?” Candra asked.

  “Varian’s arrival and the story he’s told me makes Her meaning very clear, Councilor,” Kymora said. “The Na’Chi were saved from death by a human slave called Hesia. You’ll remember that name from the time Annika told us about how she learned to heal.

  “Hesia assisted with many of the Na’Chi births. The mothers, overcome with the shame of delivering crossbreed children, would plead with her to kill the child. Instead of giving in to their demands, Hesia secreted the children away and helped them survive. Varian and Annika were two of the first she saved.”

  “But why?” Yance demanded, his cheeks flushed. “They’re an abomination, an affront to the Lady.”

  “My children must survive.” Candra’s strong voice rang out. “Listen to the Lady’s words. She claims the Na’Chi as her own, just as she did us.”

  A smile curved Kymora’s lips as she inclined her head. “Her words are clear, Council.”

  “Hesia helped us survive.” Varian’s deep voice broke through the stir caused by the revelation. “For a while she had the eldest of us pose as Na’Reish to blend in but when one of us was discovered he was killed. It was too risky to remain among them, so Hesia hid us away from the fortress. She took many chances to bring us supplies. We grew up as ghosts, learning to hide from those who would kill us, Na’Reish and human alike.”

  “Annika was led to believe all Na’Chi babies were killed at birth.” Kymora picked up the tale. “Hesia couldn’t tell her about them. Not when her father was the Na’Rei. The risk was too great.

  “But she was determined to show Annika there was hope for her in her situation. She taught her about the Lady and remained strong, praying for an answer to the Na’Chi problem.”

  Kymora’s head turned in Kalan’s direction. Her gentle smile warmed him. “Had you not been captured, Chosen, the Na’Chi would still be hiding from persecution.”

  Varian folded his arms and his expression grew tense. “Hesia knew our one hope lay with Annika seeking sanctuary with you so she encouraged her to bargain with you. Your freedom for hers.” He cast a dark look toward some of those seated around the table. “While Annika had faith in Hesia’s belief of your compassion, I don’t know whether what she bargained for was worth the trade.”

  Candra chuckled and this time a few of the warriors joined her. Kalan couldn’t stop the grin that shaped his lips.

  “There is no doubt these are uncertain times, Varian,” he said. “Until I met Annika none of us ever knew the Na’Chi existed. We believed you to be a myth.”

  “How many more of you are there?” Benth asked curiously.

  “Including me, forty-seven.” Varian’s tally drew a murmur. “Thirty one of us are aged fifteen and older. We have another nine young ones, and seven under the age of four.”

  “Where are they now?” The silver-haired Councilor looked slightly bewildered. “Are they all hiding in the city somewhere? How could our Patrols have missed them?”

  “I’m the only one within your city and the location of my people remains a secret until I decide whether I can trust you or not with their lives.” Varian then issued a dry chuckle. “When you’ve spent all of your life hiding from the Na’Reish it’s very easy to avoid being seen, even by those trained to spot the Na’Hord.”

  Candra’s laughter came from deep inside her belly this time. She shared a look with Kalan but didn’t say anything. He knew what she was thinking and was surprised Varian had so diplomatically told them their Patrols weren’t worth the leather their boots were made from.

  “I would like to learn how you evaded our Patrols so easily.” Kalan’s request drew agreement from several of his Commanders.

  Varian’s sharp gaze pinned him where he sat, then the corner of his mouth twitched. “There are many skills among the Na’Chi we’d be willing to share with you. Our scouts might be younger than many here but I’d pit them against yours any day.”

  The not-so-subtle challenge was reflected in his gaze. Kalan decided he liked the brash young Na’Chi. “Well, we’ll have to see what can be arranged.”

  “Are you serious, Chosen?” Yance enquired. “You can’t be offering them all sanctuary.”

  “The Na’Chi are hunted by the Na’Reish. They’ve placed their faith in a human woman who helped them survive, they hold no allegiance to their demon parentage, and the Lady claims them as her children.” Kalan held the man’s gaze for several heartbeats before speaking. “Why wouldn’t I extend an offer of sanctuary to them?”

  The old warrior’s mouth opened and closed, as if he struggled to find the words to express his outrage.

  “And what blood source will they slake their hunger from when the need arises?” Davyn’s soft demand cut off whatever Yance had been about to say. “Do all of you claim to drink the blood of animals like Annika? What will you do if none is available?” The warrior raised a mocking eyebrow. “You can’t guarantee their nature won’t put all our lives in danger. How many of us are willing to run that risk? You might ask that before making any decision, Chosen.”

  Kalan didn’t like the grumble of support his comments received.

  “Every Na’Chi monitors their hunger,” Varian broke in. “Just as you know when it’s time to eat—your stomach growls and grows hollow—we know when to hunt.”

  “Our hunger never runs the risk of taking a life if we can’t eat.”

  Varian leaned slowly forward, his gaze narrowed and Kalan saw the flicker of black in his eyes. “We are not animals.”

  Kymora reached out to lay her hand on his arm. Kalan was ready to interrupt the brewing argument when the doors to the room were flung open.

  “Commander!” Arek stood in the open doorway, his tanned face noticeably paler, a large tome clutched in his hands. “You have to see this!”

  Davyn shot from his chair, his face red with outrage. “You have not been granted permission to address the Council, Second!”

  Kalan rose, inwardly grimacing. Arek’s grand entrance gave the
Council the perfect excuse to deny him. What had him so apprehensive to forget his warning not to antagonize the Council?

  “Your pardon, Councilors.” Arek’s penitent tone and low bow startled quite a few. He immediately turned on his boot heel and stepped back outside to speak quietly to the two Light Blade guards.

  The young woman, Shanna, returned, her expression bemused. “Councilors, Temple Elect, Lady’s Chosen, Second Barial requests permission to enter.”

  “Could the day get any more interesting?” Candra’s dry question amused quite a few.

  “Councilors?” Kalan asked. Candra inclined her head. Davyn shook his, as did Yance and Corvas. Benth hesitated a moment, made eye contact with Davyn then his features hardened. He shook his head. Kalan ground his teeth. “Temple Elect?”

  “I’d like to hear what Arek has to say.”

  “Four votes to two.” Davyn’s tone oozed satisfaction. “Close the door, Shanna.”

  “Hold.” Heads turned as Kalan rose from his seat. “As Chosen, it’s my right to overrule the Council’s decision. I do so now.”

  Kymora gasped. “Kalan, do you realize what you’re doing?”

  The consequence of abusing this power was dire enough that any leader needed to consider carefully his decision to use it. The system ensured that no one Lady’s Chosen could gain ultimate control and turn the leadership position into a dictatorship.

  “I’m prepared to step down as the Lady’s Chosen if Arek’s address is deemed a waste of time.” His sister nodded and said nothing more. Kalan met Arek’s solemn gaze over the heads of those at the table. “Come in, Second.”

  The warrior strode into absolute silence. He advanced around the table and placed the tome before him. Kalan retook his seat as the book was opened at a marked page.

  “If you’ll read this page and the next two, Chosen.” His friend’s expression remained neutral but an intense light burned in his eyes.