by Lara Adrian
“Our shared goals? What could we possibly have in common with Lucan Thorne and his warriors?”
“Selene,” Zael stated grimly. “She’s threatening war with the outside world, and the Order specifically.”
“And that’s our concern, why?”
Brynne spoke up now. “Because for her to start a war with the Breed—for her to be certain she will win—she needs to have a second crystal.”
“The Order has one,” Zael confessed to his friend. “Cassianus left it hidden where only Jordana would find it.”
Nethilos scrubbed a hand over his firm jaw. “The rumors were true. The bastard really did steal one.”
Zael gave a sober nod. “Good for all of us, or Selene would already have everything she needs to be unstoppable.”
“And the other crystal is here in the colony,” Brynne added.
“I know I don’t need to convince you that neither of our crystals can end up in Selene’s hands,” Zael said.
“The colony will never surrender our crystal. It would be the beginning of our end if we lose the only thing that’s kept us safe all this time.”
Zael agreed completely. “Don’t think Selene hasn’t thought of that every day since you and I and all of the others escaped the realm. She’s growing restless…reckless. I saw it myself, Nethilos.”
His friend’s scowl deepened. “What do you mean you saw it?”
“Before Brynne and I left to come here, Selene had intercepted communications at the Order’s headquarters to issue a personal threat to them, and to me.” Zael held the elder’s wary gaze. “Losing Jordana to the Order may have been the final blow. You and I both know how deep her fury runs—and her vengeance. She’s been licking her wounds for a very long time, but now I fear she’s ready to fight.”
Nethilos stared, absorbing the weight of what he was hearing. “Come then, both of you. I will summon the other elders to the council chamber at once.”
CHAPTER 28
If the Atlantean elder, Nethilos, had seemed less than eager to entertain the notion of working with the Order, it was nothing compared to the resistance Brynne and Zael received from the five other members of the council. The fact that Brynne was Breed hadn’t helped.
After the initial apprehension over having one of their enemy’s kind standing in front of them was soothed, the three women and two men who sat with Zael’s friend on a dais at the front of the immense chamber had listened silently as Brynne and Zael laid out the case for an alliance to protect the two crystals and ensure that neither of the power sources found their way back into Selene’s possession.
They had questions, of course. And understandable reservations. Brynne and Zael had fielded them as best they could, working together to allay concerns and persuade the council to the Order’s side.
Standing with Zael as his diplomatic partner felt oddly natural in this otherwise very unnatural setting. More than once they had finished each other’s sentences or offered answers to a question at the same time. They were an effortless team, and it took all of her focus to keep from smiling at him or beaming with pride as he tackled the elders’ questions with a diplomatic aplomb she hadn’t realized he possessed. Zael was a tangle of contradictions, each one more fascinating—and attractive—than the last.
“I can assure the council that the Order will act as our friend in all ways,” he told the elders now. “I have spent time among the warriors and with Lucan Thorne personally. They are not always gentle in their methods, but they are just.”
Nethilos steepled his fingers and leaned forward in his seat. “And you can assure this council that under no circumstances will we be exchanging one volatile ruler for another?”
“I am prepared to promise it on my life,” Zael replied.
“As am I,” Brynne added, feeling Zael’s fingers subtly brush hers as the elders looked at each other and murmured among themselves.
Although Brynne’s JUSTIS training in diplomacy and negotiations served her well in the talks with the council today, she never would have imagined she’d end up using those skills here, standing beside Zael under the scrutiny of five high-ranking members of his kind. And try as she might to be professional, it was nearly impossible to keep from staring at the unearthly, ageless beauty of the assembled elders.
Nethilos was the tallest and most distinguished with his rich, olive skin and intelligent, contemplative golden-brown eyes. The two other males, Haroth and Baramael, were also imposing figures on the dais.
Haroth, a handsome black male with dark brown skin and sage-green eyes, looked as much a warrior as a diplomat with his muscled body and ebony hair shaved close on the sides and rising into a short mohawk.
Baramael’s dual-colored eyes were what set him apart—one pure blue, the other as gold as a coin. Beneath his jet-black crown of silky, spiked hair, his stare was unsettling, utterly unreadable.
As for the women, the three of them were beyond beautiful too. They had also been the most resistant of the council, firing one question after another. Blonde-haired Nathiri’s silvery gray eyes were as gentle as her interrogation was shrewd. Fortunately, she’d seemed satisfied with the answers she received, as did soft-spoken Anaphiel, a female with creamy, mocha-colored skin and a coil of delicate black braids seated on her head like a crown.
Anaphiel’s fathomless, sapphire-blue eyes had been a comfort during most of the meeting—as they were now, when the last of the council elders, Tamisia, pinned Brynne with a challenging stare from her seat on the dais.
“You say the Order will only ask us to consider sharing our crystal with them under the worst of circumstances.”
The gorgeous Atlantean female had long, platinum blonde hair with a single streak of bright gold running down the left side. Her sky-blue gaze had slid between Brynne and Zael for the duration of the meeting, her slender form perched at the edge of her chair like a viper waiting to strike.
Brynne hadn’t missed the oddly combative posture, but she hadn’t let it intimidate her either. Nor would she now.
“That’s right,” she answered solemnly. “The Order is fully aware that the colony depends on its crystal for many things, including protection. They will never ask it of you unless they feel the crystal is in jeopardy, or if they deem it necessary to combine the power of two in order to prevent a war—or, in the worst case, stop one.”
“Hmm.” Tamisia’s mouth pursed. “And if we agree to this alliance, then one day find ourselves asking the Order to surrender their crystal to us for these same reasons, how will they answer?”
“The Order is prepared to never let it come to that,” Brynne assured her, confident in that fact. “The Order will ensure the colony’s protection from all enemies and will assist with anything the colony should require to maintain its autonomy.”
“Anything except the crystal.” Tamisia’s smile was smug. She swung her flat stare to Zael. “This is no alliance. It is a one-sided proposal from a race that’s been out to wipe us from the planet since the moment they arrived on it.”
“Do not confuse the Breed with their Ancient ancestors,” Zael interjected sternly. “The Breed has shared this planet with us for well over a thousand years. They’ve never been a threat to us or the humans they’ve lived alongside all this time.”
She grunted, clearly unconvinced. “Tell that to the scores of humans who were slaughtered in a single night two decades ago.”
Brynne shook her head, outrage flaring in her. “That was an attack instigated by an animal named Dragos. He unleashed hundreds of blood-addicted Rogues to retaliate against the Order and create a worldwide panic. No one among the Breed wanted that to happen, least of all Lucan and the warriors.”
Tamisia ignored her, never taking her eyes off Zael. “Why did you really bring this female here?”
His answering look was darker than Brynne had ever seen in him before. “Because I trust her. And I trust the Order—as should all of you.”
The elder lifted her chin, her gaze icing over, as dism
issive as her tone. “You ask too much, Ekizael.”
“Damn it, Sia.” Zael’s sharp utterance sent her brows high on her forehead. “This is about peace. It’s about the future of this colony.”
“Is it?” she replied airlessly. “I wonder.”
Brynne’s chest tightened at the unexpected familiarity that crackled between Zael and the woman. Animosity flared in Tamisia’s tight expression in the long moment that she held Zael’s hard stare. And from beside her, Brynne felt an angry heat radiating off his tense body.
“This will suffice for now,” Nethilos announced. “We have enough information to consider and make our decision. We’ll convene again in tomorrow at daybreak.”
He rose, and four of the elders did too. Tamisia was last, defiant as she lifted fluidly from her seat and then glided off the dais in smooth, long-legged strides.
“Come on,” Zael said, placing his palm against the small of Brynne’s back to show her out of the chamber.
All the breath leaked out of her lungs on a relieved sigh as soon as they exited to the open courtyard outside. “What was that about?”
Zael shook his head. “Nothing important. Tamisia will come around, I’m sure. Nethilos is on our side. As is Anaphiel, and possibly even Baramael.”
“How could you possibly tell that?” She couldn’t hide her surprise, recalling the dark-haired Atlantean’s indecipherable bicolored gaze.
“Didn’t you see his smile?”
She laughed. “I most certainly did not.”
Zael was obviously trying to lighten the mood, set her at ease. For the most part, it was working. Although how they would get through the rest of the day and night without knowing the elders’ decision, she had no idea.
“Zael!”
A light, female voice called to him from across the sun-filled courtyard.
Brynne swiveled her head in the direction that the excited shriek and giggle had come from and spotted a pretty young woman running toward them. Or, rather, toward Zael.
Coltish and cheerful, the Atlantean female beamed at him with unabashed glee, the spiral curls of her burnished copper hair dancing around her shoulders as she raced to greet him.
“I was so excited to hear you were back on the island!” she gushed, throwing her arms around him.
Maybe it shouldn’t shock Brynne to learn that the charming, golden male who evidently had no shortage of women outside the colony should also have his fair share of admirers within it too.
That didn’t mean she had to like it.
As if he just recalled Brynne was standing there, Zael extricated himself from the female’s arms. “Neriah, this is Brynne Kirkland.”
Recalling the name now, she smiled at Nethilos’s daughter. “How nice to meet you, Neriah.”
This close, she realized the young woman was likely no more than a teen. Eyes of a similar golden-brown shade as her father’s studied Brynne in avid interest.
“Brynne is my…colleague from the outside,” Zael said.
He glanced at Brynne as he spoke, his gaze reminding her of their agreement to maintain a platonic facade in front of his people. After the uncomfortable way the meeting with the elders had ended—with Tamisia in particular—Brynne couldn’t fault him for wanting to maintain an air of professionalism while they were there.
“Are you really a daywalker?”
Brynne smiled at the girl. “I really am.”
“And you really drink blood?”
Zael cleared his throat. “Neriah.”
“Sorry.” She grimaced and gave an apologetic shrug. “Maybe we can talk more later?”
“I’d like that,” Brynne replied.
As they spoke, she noticed Zael’s head was turned toward the council chamber, to where Tamisia was now standing. Her arms were folded over her chest, her expression coldly assessing.
If there had been room for doubt before, when the Atlantean female had been staring daggers at Brynne and doing her best to undermine the discussion of an alliance, there was no denying it now. Tamisia’s problem with her was jealousy.
The jealousy of a lover.
“I’ll be right back,” Zael murmured. “Brynne, will you be all right?”
“Of course.” Her answer was a lot more confident than she felt in that moment. “I’ll be fine. Go do what you have to do.”
“I’m going to take Brynne to the guest cottage,” Neriah announced helpfully.
He nodded. “I’ll catch up with you as soon as I can.”
Brynne stood there, refusing to watch as he strode back to meet Tamisia. She didn’t want to see the other woman’s smug reaction, nor wonder what Zael might be saying to soothe her ruffled feathers.
Unfortunately, not even her pride was strong enough to deny her foolish heart.
She turned her head to look for Zael, but he and Tamisia were already gone.
CHAPTER 29
Zael hated abandoning Brynne so abruptly, but he could tell from the look on Tamisia’s face that the female had something on her mind. Something more than just the seething jealousy she had made no effort to conceal as she watched him with Brynne in the courtyard.
And while Brynne had given him permission to go, without as much as a backward glance as he approached the other woman, he didn’t believe for a moment that she wasn’t at least a little suspicious about his relationship with the Atlantean female.
With good reason.
Tamisia’s chilly stare warmed considerably as he approached. “I didn’t mean to lure you away from your companion.”
“Of course, you did.” Zael side-stepped her attempt to kiss his cheek in greeting, earning him a frown. “What do you want, Sia?”
She lifted a slender shoulder, although her expression was anything but nonchalant. “It’s been so long since I saw you last. I hoped we might have a chance to talk for a while…privately.”
Ever the confident one, she pivoted and began walking toward the halls of the council chamber. Zael’s jaw clenched with a hundred shades of misgivings, but he fell in behind her. She led him into an empty library and closed the door. He stayed put only a couple of paces inside the room while she dropped elegantly onto a silk-covered sofa beneath a sparkling stained-glass window.
“She’s pretty,” Tamisia remarked idly. “For one of her kind, that is.”
Zael grunted, not about to play this game with her. “I doubt you brought me here to discuss the attributes of other women, Sia. I seem to recall that was always your least favorite subject. What’s on your mind?”
“You mean, besides you?” Long lashes framed the knowingly coy gaze she fixed on him. “I’ve missed you, Zael. Each time you leave the island, it seems you’re gone longer and longer.”
She spoke in that sultry voice that used to have some power to sway him. Not anymore. And to hear her plying it on him now only made him suspicious of her motivations. Tamisia was a shrewd woman who went after what she wanted. So, what did she want from him now?
He leaned against the library wall, studying the beautiful blonde elder who was so accustomed to wrapping any male around her dainty finger. “Somehow, I doubt you’ve been waiting here, pining for me, Tamisia. We were only together a few times. You’re hardly the type to waste away.”
Her pout faded into a sly smile. “You know me too well, Ekizael. No, I haven’t been pining. Elyon has been seeing to that lately.”
“Elyon?” Zael balked at the mention of his former legion comrade who served as a sentry for the colony. “Now, there’s an odd match. The rebel of the elder council and one of the most idealistic of Selene’s old guard.”
“It’s nothing,” Tamisia said with a dismissive flick of her hand. “It’s a dalliance. One I have no intention of continuing.”
Zael chuckled. “Does poor Elyon know that?”
She eyed him haughtily. “You of all people have no room to judge me. You never stay with anyone.”
No, he didn’t. Until recently, he’d never given much thought to his nomadic w
ay of life. Nor the women who came and left his bed, creating barely a ripple of regret for their loss.
And then he met Brynne.
It was impossible to think of going back to his old ways—the endless wandering or the rest of it—now that she had entered his world.
But it was even worse than that.
Now that Brynne Kirkland was in his life, Zael couldn’t imagine what a day without her would look like.
To say nothing of his nights.
“When do you expect you’ll return to the outside again?” Tamisia asked, breaking into his thoughts.
Zael shrugged. “As soon as the council delivers their decision, or soon after. Why?”
Although she shook her head as if she meant nothing by it, there was a note of hesitancy in her stare. A plea—one she didn’t seem certain how to put into words.
“What’s wrong?”
She swallowed. “Do you think… Do you think it might be possible for me to go with you?”
Well, he sure as hell hadn’t been expecting that. He was taken aback and couldn’t hide it.
Tamisia was a high-ranking, well-respected member of the colony. An elder responsible for helping to shape the laws and direction of the entire community. He never would have dreamed she’d be willing to give all of that up.
“Go with me?”
“Not as your woman, if that’s your concern,” she quickly added. “Although if you wanted to try, you might be able to convince me to change my mind on that.”
“I don’t,” he told her gently. “And what you’re asking of me… You must know that if you leave, there’s no coming back.”
A strange hauntedness crossed her face, but it was there and gone in an instant. “I know it means if I go. It will be for good.”
Zael was the only one in the colony to be granted access to come and go as he pleased, and only because Nethilos trusted him as he would one of his own kin. Tamisia was asking him to throw that away. Incredibly, she seemed willing to throw away everything she had built for herself in the colony too.
“Why would you want to leave? The colony is who you are. You’ve never seemed restless here in all the time I’ve known you.”