by Ashley Nemer
“Adara, with all my love, all my being, all my soul… I am yours. This baby, she is ours. Please, come home with me; come home to my house and my soul. Perform the nexus with me. Be mine.”
Adara looked down at him in shock. She heard the words he said, but she didn’t know what to say. Seconds turned into minutes… Minutes that killed Zayn, like a dagger in the heart.
“Adara, please. Please say you will.”
“Zayn, you know when you left me I was falling in love with you.”
It was as if the Gods knew that this wasn’t the right time to have this discussion, because at that moment Nasir burst frantically into the room, his face clearly upset about something,
“What, Gods? Damn it Nasir, what? What is so fucking important?!?
“I’m sorry Zayn, but Mehmet just called to tell me that Nikole left him to go after Alec. She flashed away from him, and he is on the road now, heading to Alec’s location.”
“FUCK!” Zayn bellowed as he stood up and marched to the door, his eyes swirling yellow. “She wasn’t supposed to leave. We are not done. I thought I had made myself CLEAR!”
“Zayn, she has been fine for three months without you. I’m sure she will be fine going to see him. Calm down, you are upsetting the peacefulness,” Adara said quietly from her bed.
“Adara, this doesn’t concern you.” He spoke out before looking at Nasir. “Bring her home. Then find him and bring him back, or else he will be working in the pits for the remainder of his life.” Zayn walked back to Adara and pulled her into his arms, engulfing her in a hug. “I am sorry this moment for us was ruined. Nasir will be leaving, and we can finish.”
“Zayn.”
“Your Majesty!” Zayn said looking over at Nasir. “You say, Your Majesty.”
Nasir nodded out of reverence while biting his tongue. Now wasn’t the time to hash out respect issues, especially in front of a lady. “Your Majesty, I will go bring Nikole home myself if I must.” He turned to leave, closing the hospital room door behind him.
Zayn and Adara sat there in silence. Zayn was fuming about the fact that someone had disobeyed a direct order, and Adara sat in shock at how he had reacted to Nikole going after her man. It didn’t seem right to her. How could she marry someone who didn’t see the need for a woman to go after the man she loved, just like Zayn came after her?
CHAPTER TWENTY
“He left the house? Are you sure he doesn’t know you are following him? Good. We will be there as soon as you give us the location.” Jonothon hung up the phone and looked over to Haydar and Leigh. “Nikole’s boyfriend has left the house. I have someone tailing him. We will have his location once he goes home, so we will be able to find Nikole next time she runs to hide.”
Haydar did a once over on his bent’s trusted companion. He hoped that she had picked accurately; a lot of things were riding on this operation working smoothly.
“I want you there when this plan goes into action, Leigh. I do not trust this to just any old subordinate. If you picked wrong, it will be your head. Do you understand, bent?”
Leigh held back the snide remarks that were flashing through her mind. Who did he really think he was fooling? His ways were out dated and inefficient; he didn’t have the knowledge of modern times to give proper direction to the military.
“Yes, Abb, I understand.” How badly she wanted him to be out of the picture. Her life would be perfect without him. The throne would belong to her with no one to fight about taking active and rightful control over their people.
“Jonothon, you can stay with me. Your services with my bent are no longer required. I will keep you to myself. Why, if you are the best like she claims, then you should be serving me and not her.” Haydar gave a pointed look at Leigh, warning her to stay quiet.
She knew what he was doing, he was holding collateral.
“When this mission is done, Abb… we will discuss what is mine.” Haydar watched his bent leave and immediately turned to Jonothon.
“I told her to stop fucking you… Well, since she refuses to listen to me, it’s time I remind her who gives her the power she so enjoys wielding.”
Leigh heard a scream from a man as she walked out of her abb’s office and down the hallways. She felt a mild twinge of guilt, but she knew Jonothon was a fighter. He would live through whatever torture her abb pushed on him. This power play they were in would be ending soon. She would not have him thinking that he had her backed into a corner.
Keep it up, Abb, and your time here will be ending quicker than planned. Leigh heard the words echo in her mind as she flashed herself out of the compound. She traveled down the highway, taking a few miles at a time. She’d watched him treat her akhs like they were nothing but waste, which of course was what they had been. Leigh was damned sure though that her abb would regret the day he had ever considered her as weak and foolish as them.
While she was contemplating her abb’s death, her cell phone began to vibrate. When she checked the message, she noted that her men had successfully tracked down where Alec was staying and that Nikole was not there. Without wasting another breath, she flashed across the distance, narrowing in on their location.
“He’s in there alone?” she questioned her men as they pointed up to the house.
“This appears to be his home. He arrived alone and hasn’t left.”
Leigh motioned for her men to back down and initiated a survey of Alec’s home. She walked through the forest and assessed different angles of entry and exit; she began the process of sealing off all openings, except the front door. Closing her eyes, she lifted up her arms and the vines of the plant life started to work their way up the walls of the house. Her men watched as her eyes flashed numerous shades of green. The vines wove in and out of the wooden frame of the house, silently trapping the lone occupant inside.
Leigh took a step back to survey her progress. She was pleased with the results; Alec’s sanctuary was now his prison…her bent amty was now her prey.
She walked back to her men and gave them orders to hide in the tree lines. Watching the men disappear, she walked up to the front of his cabin. She took a moment to analyze the burned trees, noting that it appeared some sort of fire had struck. With a movement of her arm, she watched as leaves started to grow and the bark of the trunks changed from charcoal to brown. Her omm had taught her one thing during the time she was around, the only being on this planet stronger than them was Mother Nature, and respect must be shown to her. Whenever she was in pain, ease it; that was the best way to recharge one’s own life force, to give back to the true giver of power.
Pleased with the change in the life of the ground and trees, she resumed her quest. With a firm knock, she banged on the door and stood awaiting his response.
Alec was in his bedroom when he heard the knock. Thinking that Nikole had come back for him, he sullenly walked to the door. He really didn’t want to see her so soon, but it didn’t surprise him that had she come back, seeking him out. She was a stubborn woman, and sadly, that was one of the things he was attracted to the most. Pausing just a brief moment after answering the door, the confusion on his face was evident as he looked at the beautiful redhead standing on the other side of the door.
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, I believe you can.” Leigh pushed her way through the door and stalked towards him. His defenses immediately came to the forefront, causing his arms to flare with fire as his internal fight or flight instinct kicked into motion.
“I am here for your girlfriend, Nikole. Please hang around for a while.” The metal of the house pipes came out through the ceiling and wrapped around Alec. He was pulled against the wall and fastened in place. The plants on the other side of the room started trailing along the ceiling, quickly making their way to Alec’s body. The vines wrapped around his neck and moved up to his mouth. Leigh laughed as his oxygen started to deplete, causing the fire on his arms to burn out.
“Pet of my bent amty, when is she coming back?”
>
He shook his head back and forth, a growl of possession and protection apparent in his struggle.
“What was that?” She let the vines loosen around his mouth, freeing him for speech.
“Fuck, you.” He said, spitting out leaves from his plant. “I’ll never help you or tell you when she is going to return. Kill me now, because you won’t get anything from me!”
“I love it when the men fight; it is amusing to think they actually stand a chance.” She made the vines go tight around his mouth again, gagging his muffled reply. Leigh walked to him and pulled her knife out, pressing the short side of the blade against his forehead. “Let’s begin.” In one swift motion, the blade moved from left to right, slicing the skin clean to the bone. Blood trickled down his face as his body thrashed in the vines, trying to fight what was about to happen to him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Nikole moved across her room, realizing that he had taken care of everything. He’d unpacked her belongings and put them where they belonged, just like she’d had them at his house.
“How could you not stay?” she mumbled out loud.
She wasn’t willing to believe he didn’t love her too. You didn’t do this for someone if you didn’t care about them. Nikole looked over at her closet door and couldn’t help herself. She just smiled, seeing her clothes lined up, color coordinated. She went to her chest and ran her hand along a drawer before she pulled the top one open. She looked down and saw each of her panties and bras folded neatly and stacked in straight rows. The time and detail he’d spent on this little project amazed her.
She started to walk out of her room and was stopped by the sight of someone standing outside of her doorway. “Mehmet, what are you doing here?”
“Ma’am.” He bowed. “I was instructed to stay with you and make sure you keep to the house.”
“That isn’t necessary. You may go. Thank you.” She pushed past him, thinking he would fall behind. When she noticed he was staying in step with her as she walked down the hallway, she stopped and turned, looking at him with clear intention. Her eyes locked in on his, and her tone was evident without saying a word.
“I have to follow you, Nik. I’ve been ordered to do so.” Nikole started to protest when he put his hand up to silence her. “King Zayn ordered me to stay with you and keep you safe. There is nothing you can do or say, Your Highness.”
Nikole’s distaste for his answer must have been apparent in her expression, because he’d taken one step back and looked over her shoulder to the banister. She started to speak and then bit back her remark as she turned and continued down the path she was on, the path to bring Alec to her.
Nikole walked for a few hundred feet outside of the home when she turned to Mehmet and said, “I am going to Alec’s. If you wish to come, good luck following me.”
And like that, she disappeared before his eyes. He frantically ran back to the house and pulled out his cell phone, hopping into one of the vehicles parked on the property. Turning it on and pushing it into drive, he took off out of the mansion property and down the roads. With his right hand he dialed Nasir’s number, hoping he was around to answer.
“Hello.”
“Sir, I have a problem. The king ordered me to stay with the princess, and she vanished on me. She said she was going to find Alec and then flashed away. I’m already en route, but someone needs to alert the king.”
“Go bring her home. I will inform the king.”
Mehmet heard nothing but silence from Nasir as he turned down Interstate 24 and pointed the vehicle west, starting toward Alec’s home. Two hours, it was going to take me two hours to get there.
Standing outside of his cabin, Nikole noticed that the trees had their life back but didn’t know how that was possible. Maybe Alec had some reverse use of his powers and could give them growth? That made no sense, but clearly someone had given it back to them. She walked past the tree trunk beside his porch, her hand touching it. The bark flaked off into her grasp; she smelled it, the smell of life. How she did enjoy a nice summer day and the smell the trees gave off. There was something different about these trees, though. She just didn’t know what.
Walking up the steps she lightly knocked on the door, waiting to hear a reply.
Nothing. Silence.
She knocked again, and this time the door just opened. Well that’s an improvement, she thought. Walking inside, she noticed the shrubbery growing on the side of the wall but not quickly enough to block the steel pipe that hit her on the side of her head.
Alec struggled against the wall as he screamed out a muffled plea for Leigh to not hurt Nikole. He watched Leigh drag Nikole’s body over to a metal chair she’d had one of her men bring inside. Strapping her down, she attached a glass needle to the chair. She pointed it at Nikole’s throat and ran some smelling salts under her nose, causing her to regain consciousness.
“Hello, Nikole. Let me introduce myself, I’m Leigh, your new master. And this, my dear, is what I’m going to do to your akh when I get my hands on him.” She pointed to Alec who was hanging from the wall with metal and shrubs holding him in place. Nikole started to move when Leigh grabbed her throat and held her in place.
“You see this needle, my precious princess? I’m putting it against your throat, your artery to be exact. One move, and I mean one, and this will insert into your vein and shoot air through your system. Do you know what happens when you get an air bubble in your vein? One guess. That’s right Nikole, you die. Now, be a good girl and sit still.”
“You bitch, you can’t do this to him. He’s an innocent!”
“No one’s an innocent in this war. You kill my people, I kill your people, and it’s called tit for tat. The only problem is you were not smart enough. You and your precious akh will perish because you do not have the ability to foresee strategies.” Leigh walked over toward Alec and took his balls into her hand, squeezing them tightly. His cry, while muffled, was still loud and painful to hear.
“Stop it! Stop hurting him! You want someone… take me!”
“Oh, I will take you. No need for you to worry about that right now. But I just want you to know what I am capable of. There is nothing more pleasurable than seeing the tears run down someone’s face as they watch the person they love- die.”
“STOP IT! What do you want? Why can’t you people be civil? Why must you always kill?”
“Civil? Civil? Was it civil when your parents chased my omm’s family from their home just because she married my abb? Was it civil when our gedi passed my abb up for the throne and gave it to your bitch omm instead? WAS THAT CIVIL?” Leigh removed her knife and slammed it into Alec’s thigh. It stood straight up as she let go, the blood from his muscle running down his jeans.
“It’s compassion that will be the death of all of you, and mark my words; there is nothing compassionate about me. You will all die; it is just a matter of time and place. Right now, it’s his turn.” She looked at Alec who had tears running down his face, his neck tight, and breathing heavily. All the veins in his face were exposed.
“Say goodbye to him, Princess.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Haydar’s fangs hissed out at Jonothon as his hands brought a spiked collar to the male’s throat. The points of the collar were laced with a poison that would cause his body to sear from the inside out. Jonothon screamed out as his neck began to burn, his blood carrying the poison throughout his body. Haydar latched the collar tightly around his neck and stepped back, smiling as his bent’s lover was writhing on the ground.
“This is proof you were not meant for my bent. You are crying like a pussy, and she would never tolerate that in her life.” Jonothon doubled over in pain, the burning sensation ripping through him, traveling through his veins. He started to scratch at his arms and legs, his nails pulling up layers of skin.
“Please make it stop, PLEASE!” Jonothon called out, his plea falling on deaf ears.
“You want mercy? Why should you be given mercy? You have
done nothing to help the cause, only delay it, distracting my bent’s attention and feeding her lies about getting rid of me. Do you think I don’t know? I don’t know your plan? I KNOW EVERYTHING!”
Haydar took his left hand and grabbed Jonothon’s chin, pulling his head up so he could look into his eyes.
“I’m going to say this once. You will never be with Leigh again.” In a split second, Haydar’s right hand moved across his body and back handed Jonothon’s face. His jaw cracked. The sound of a tooth breaking pleased Haydar’s senses.
Jonothon didn’t allow a moan to slip his lips; he took the pain and bottled it inside. He knew that he had already shown enough weakness to Haydar and would be damned if he showed anymore.
He spit out blood and a tooth on Haydar’s shoe. Jonothon looked up at his leader and with venom in his voice said, “You are holding her back, and we will have the final say. Only foolish men think they are unstoppable. Do you think we don’t know you were spying on us? You are blinded by your short sightedness, and it will be your downfall. She will overcome you, mark my words.”
Haydar grabbed Jonothon by the jaw and brought him close. He squeezed his fingers into Jonothon’s cheeks, forcing his tongue to come out. Haydar took his knife from his pocket and sliced the tip of Jonothon’s tongue off. Jonothon’s hands rushed to his face as he pushed his fingers down on what was left of his tongue, trying to stop the bleeding. Haydar stepped back, laughing at the worthless man fumbling around on the ground, trying to save himself.
“You are as stupid as the humans. I’ll enjoy watching you talk without most of your tongue.” Haydar leaned down and spoke with a deep tone into his ear. “And, if you think Leigh will love you now, you are an idiot. Khaleds do not accept imperfections, and in no way do we love them. You are now worthless to her.”