by Heidi Skarie
“No, I’ll be all right in a second.” She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, waiting for her strength to return.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Nyla—she’s dangerous. Have one of your men watch her.”
“At the moment, I’m more worried about you than what mischief Nyla is up to. I’d better take you to Michio. You probably need to lie down.”
Zac helped Toemeka to her feet and she swayed unsteadily, light-headed. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him, afraid she might pass out.
“Do you want to stay here while I get Michio?”
“Just give me a moment. I don’t know what’s come over me.” Gradually the dizziness passed and they walked back into the ballroom and joined their friends.
Erling got up quickly when he saw Toemeka. “What’s wrong, Toe? You’re white as a ghost.”
“She’s not feeling well,” Zac said.
“Where’s Michio?” Toemeka asked.
“Princess Nyla wanted to talk to him,” Erling replied. “They’re out on the balcony. Mich tried to put her off, but she said she’d heard he was a spiritual adept and what she had to discuss with him was important. Something about spiritual growth.”
“Spiritual growth — that’s a joke!” Toemeka exclaimed. “She just wanted to get him alone.”
“Why are you so down on her?” Erling asked. “She’s just a sweet, young woman. I think it’s rather humorous the way she behaves. She’s an incredible flirt, but so charming and attractive, she gets away with it. I’ve enjoyed her company at the palace the last few days.”
“Don’t you sense her negativity?” Toemeka asked, searching her former partner’s face for some indication he’d felt what she did.
“Mich has always been the roving type,” Erling teased. “I understand why you’d be upset. He’ll probably get drunk and not come home tonight.”
“I can see it’s not doing any good to talk seriously to you. I was hoping your ego wasn’t so big that you couldn’t see past the illusion she’s creating.” Toemeka left him and went to the balcony where she spotted Michio and Nyla off to one side. Toemeka surrounded herself with a shield of Light before approaching them. The princess immediately noticed her approach, but Michio had his back to her.
“Please, come to me,” Nyla said. “On the mountain tonight.”
Michio shook his head. “I can’t.”
“I’m in great trouble. Please help me.” She stepped toward him, placing her hands on his chest and looking up at him. “Please, I need you,” she said in a broken voice, tears forming in her large, dark eyes. She glanced at Toemeka then pressed herself against Michio and kissed him on the mouth.
Michio stepped away from Nyla, but Toemeka didn’t wait to see more. “She’s not crying; she’s just pretending to gain your sympathy.”
Michio swung around to face Toemeka, his eyes wide with surprise.
Nyla sneered at her with a triumphant look and hurled another powerful blast of negative energy. It hit Toemeka full force, breaking through her shield. Toemeka stumbled backward, then turned and fled from the balcony, anxious to be out of Nyla’s reach. The woman had more power than she’d expected. How had Nyla broken through her shield of Light? Was she a sorceress?
The music made her head throb again and the room whirled as she pushed through the dancers. Michio called out from behind her, but she didn’t stop. She was desperate to get outside into fresh air. She ran across the hall and burst through the door into the gardens and stopped, trying to catch her breath. Still feeling the effect of the blast of negative energy and sensitive to psychic forces, Toemeka felt overwhelmed. A vision of Cadmus flashed before her and another wave of dizziness made her legs go weak.
She was vaguely aware of Michio taking her in his arms. “Honey, it’s not what you think.” She leaned against him, feeling sick. Her head screamed in pain and the world tilted.
Michio lifted her up and carried her to a bench. Her dress billowed as he sat down with her on his lap. “Are you sick? What is it?” he asked, with alarm.
Slowly things righted themselves. “Hold me, Michio, I’m frightened.”
She wanted Michio to understand the threat Nyla posed, but hadn’t the energy. She felt her life force draining from her. Michio was an advanced student of Master Bakka and a trained sorcerer fighter. Surely he could handle the princess. She closed her eyes, unable to fight the weariness closing over her.
“There’s no reason to be afraid,” Michio said. “I’ll send someone to get the baby from the nursery and take you home.”
She put her arms around his neck. “I love you,” she whispered as she slipped into unconsciousness.
31
Nyla
Toemeka was vaguely aware of the drive home. Once they arrived, Michio held the baby in one arm as he helped her upstairs to the bedroom. After putting the sleeping baby in the crib, he helped her change into a nightgown. Unable to fight the heaviness that had overtaken her, she lay on the bed.
The baby started crying and Michio left the room. Toemeka waited for him to return so she could warn him about Nyla. She felt thickheaded as if she’d been drugged. Her stomach twisted. Had she been drugged? It was after Nyla borrowed her drink that she’d had a headache and felt sick. She heard Michio singing to Baymond in the nursery. As the baby quieted, the sound of the creaking rocking chair floated into the room.
“Michio,” she called, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyelids were too heavy to keep open and she was unable to fight the need for sleep. She started slipping into the dream worlds when an image of Cadmus appeared. His energy felt so strong that she was sure he was on Borko! She must warn Michio. They needed to return to the palace for protection at once. She tried to fight the overwhelming fatigue descending over her, but sunk into unconsciousness.
***
In the guard quarters of the palace, Captain Zachary lay in bed, thinking about Toemeka’s warning that Princess Nyla was dangerous. She didn’t seem dangerous to him. How could such an exquisite creature be treacherous? He’d never seen such a divine creature. Then he caught himself. Except once—Seetva. Seetva had the same magnetic power over him. The thought made him sick. Suppose Toemeka was right and Nyla had blasted her with negative energy. He thought at the time Toemeka was just sick and confused.
The door opened and Zachary sat up, wondering if it was one of his guards coming to report an emergency that needed his attention. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Captain Zachary — Princess Nyla. I had to see you.”
He started to get out of bed, but remembered he was only wearing pajama bottoms. He stayed put and turned on the bedside lamp.
She came over to him, wearing the black gown she’d worn to the ball. The dress left her shoulders bare and the tops of her breasts exposed. One leg showed through the slit that went all the way to her upper thigh. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. Can I sleep with you?” She started sliding down the side zipper of her dress.
Zac jumped out of bed. “Don’t do that! You can’t stay!” She looked up at him with large eyes, looking very appealing.
“Why? I want you; don’t you want me?”
“I hardly know you.”
“I knew as soon as I met you that we are meant to be together.”
“I… Onolyn and I… I mean—”
“Don’t you find me attractive?” She dropped her gown to the ground, leaving her wearing nothing but bikini panties.
Zac gulped. “You’re beautiful but—”
Her mouth covered his and her arms wrapped around him, her ample breasts pressing against his chest. A surge of desire shot through him and he wanted her in a purely physical way. He knew he was coming under her power. When had he felt this woman’s energy before?
Again he thought of Seetva. Could this be Seetva or a witch with similar powers? Regardless, he must fight her power. Inwardly he pleaded, “Master Bakka, please help me! I haven’t the power to defeat h
er alone.”
The woman’s lips burned against his, and a sweet, terrible fire swept through him.
Behind him, he heard Onolyn say his name. He released Princess Nyla and spun around to see Onolyn standing behind them, her cheeks flaming. She still wore her green ball gown. “Onolyn, what are you doing here?”
“Leave us,” Nyla said in a harsh voice Zac hadn’t heard her use before.
“You’re the one who must leave,” Onolyn said.
Princess Nyla slapped Onolyn in the face with so much force that she stumbled backward. “Don’t interfere!” Onolyn clutched her injured cheek, eyes wide with fright.
Nyla’s hold over Zac snapped and he grabbed her arm. “Get out and don’t ever come back.”
Nyla pulled her dress on and hissed, “You’ll regret this — both of you!” She stormed from the room.
“Are you all right, Onolyn?” Zac drew her into his arms, feeling shaken.
“Zac, I’m… I’m sorry for coming in like this.” Onolyn flushed deeply, not meeting his eyes. “It was something Toemeka said. When I saw Nyla come in, I knew what she was after. I should’ve been there when Seetva entrapped you on Haklute. This time I wasn’t going to let jealousy stand in the way.”
“I’m grateful you interfered. I was terrified of coming under her spell. Onolyn, we’ve got to find out what’s going on. It’s possible Princess Nyla is really Seetva. I’ve heard Seetva is a shape-shifter. If she is, she’s after something or someone more important than me or she wouldn’t have left without a fight. Erling could be in danger. I’d better notify him.”
***
Michio was reading when the baby starting crying again. He lifted Baymond out of his crib and gave him a bottle, hoping the baby’s cries wouldn’t awaken Toemeka. He was concerned about her sudden illness since she’d lost consciousness at the palace and been sleeping ever since.
The baby finished the bottle and fell asleep. Michio placed him back in the crib then went to the bedroom and lay down next to Toemeka. His thoughts turned to Nyla. Why did Toemeka sense she was negative when he didn’t?
Awareness of the physical world disappeared as he fell asleep and entered the Inner Worlds in full consciousness. He stood on a wind-swept mountain. Nyla appeared beside him. She wore the gown she’d worn to the ball and her hair blew gently about her young, innocent face. “Come to me. I’m in danger and need your help.”
Michio jerked awake, disturbed by the inner experience. Did she really need his help? Was she in some kind of trouble? She was the princess of one of Jaipur’s most important allies. He shouldn’t let anything happen to her, but what if Toemeka was right and Nyla had a dark purpose?
He couldn’t go to Nyla anyway. Since they’d returned from Alandra, he never left Toemeka and Baymond alone at the house. Cadmus was too great a threat even though Jake’s last communication said he was still at his fortress.
Michio went back to sleep, but Nyla came to him again, more powerful than before, calling to him in his dreams. He surrounded himself with a shield of Light to block her, but still felt her reaching out to him. He gave up trying to sleep and decided to take a short walk to clear his mind of Nyla. He wouldn’t be gone long — Toemeka and the baby would be all right.
Standing in the moonlit night, he felt Nyla’s energy stronger than ever, drawing him to her. He started walking, unable to resist the pull of her call. He entered the dark woods and continued along a familiar trail that led up the side of the mountain. He paused, hearing a faint wailing cry carried on the wind. Every sense alert, he moved toward the source of the power drawing him forward. His instinct was to leave, but the pull was too strong to resist..
Finally, he broke into a small clearing. Nyla stood in the center with the light of Borko’s double moons illuminating her fair hair. She looked exactly as he’d seen her in his dream. Her pretty face broke into a smile upon seeing him. “I knew you’d come. I’ve been waiting for you.”
A shudder passed through Michio; the feeling of negativity was even stronger here. Was it coming from from the danger she was in—or her? What power did she have over him? Why was he here? The questions drifted away as quickly as they came and he didn’t seem able to think clearly.
“Come here,” she said in a seductive voice.
“What do you want?” he asked, walking toward her.
“A black magician has been psychically attacking me. Please help.”
“Who is this magician?” She looked young, frightened and vulnerable. She brought out his masculine instinct to protect her, the same feelings Toemeka always rejected from him. Yet he felt as if a veil was being drawn over him. Thin tentacles seemed to reach out through the ethers and bind the life force within him. An inner warning coursed through him, but he didn’t seem to have the strength to heed it. He stopped barely six feet away from her. She was so innocent and needed his help.
“You must become one with me, so your power becomes mine.” She moved to Michio with fluid steps and slid her arms around him.
Michio’s breath quickened and his body tingled with arousal. He reached out to push her away, but when his hands touched her soft skin, he wanted her. His hold tightened on her, even as he fought the desire to take her. He felt himself drowning, going under deep, ice-cold water.
Inwardly he focused on getting in touch with the higher part of himself. Trapped in darkness, he searched for the inner Light. An image of Toemeka appeared and love filled him. He started inwardly chanting, uplifting himself in consciousness. The force of Divine Spirit flowed through him.
He thrust Nyla away. A pure white, Light that started as a mere pinpoint appeared in his inner vision. The point of light expanded and intensified. The veil of illusion was ripped away. Nyla’s negativity hit him, full force and he saw her for who she really was.
“Seetva!” Michio gasped. “Did you think you could entrap me so easily?”
The form of the young princess shifted into Seetva. Skulls appeared on her black gown and her eyes were burning coals that bore into him. “I told you I’d be back to defeat you, Michio. I’m not alone this time.”
Zanton and Cadmus emerged from the woods. His three enemies surrounded him in a triangle of power. He knew Seetva alone could never have brought him here, but by converging her dark powers with theirs, they were stronger than him.
Michio sent Toemeka a strong telepathic message. “Toemeka, wake up! Escape!” His message was cut off.
“We can’t have you interfering with our plans,” Cadmus said. “Toemeka is mine when you’re dead.”
“You could’ve been allowed to live,” Seetva said. “Samrat Condor would have prefered that; he wants your power. He wants us to capture your Soul and take possession of your body, but that won’t be possible now.”
“Kill him, Seetva,” Zanton said.
Seetva changed into the form of Death. Her face became a skeleton and her hands claws. She looked at him with glowing red eyes and took a step forward. “Death has come for you.”
32
Dangerous Enemies
Koriann awoke with a sharp contraction. She glanced over and saw that Erling wasn’t in bed beside her. Perhaps he was just in the bathroom or hadn’t been able to sleep. He didn’t seem himself the last few days.
“Erling!” she called. He didn’t answer. She gritted her teeth as another contraction hit her. She’d been having false labor pains during the last few weeks. Dr. Tenzing assured her it was simply her body getting ready for childbirth. She called Erling on her watch communicator, but he didn’t pick up.
Another contraction began and she grabbed the bedpost. This was worse than her usual false labor. She began timing the contractions and discovered they were already five minutes apart and lasted nearly a minute. Still she didn’t call the doctor. They might stop and then she would’ve awakened him for nothing. He could get here easily enough when she needed him; as the staff physician, he lived at the palace.
The hard, regular contractions continued and she
finally called the doctor. A sleepy voice answered the phone. “This is Queen Koriann. I’m in labor. Please come. I know it will probably be hours yet, but I’m nervous and Erling isn’t here.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He wasn’t here when I awoke over an hour ago.”
“I’ll be right there.”
A knock came at the door a short time later and she yelled, “Come in,” expecting to see Dr. Tenzing, but Zac entered instead. Koriann pulled on a robe.
“Dr. Tenzing contacted me to ask if I knew where Prince Erling was. I was already on my way to your room to talk with him. Princess Nyla isn’t who she appears to be.” He told her of Nyla’s visit to his room. “If my suspicions are correct, Erling is in danger.”
A hard contraction came over Koriann and she gasped, clutching her belly. Zac hurried over and helped her sit on the bed. “I’ll send for your handmaiden, then search for Erling. He’s probably somewhere in the palace. If I can’t find him, I’ll have the palace guards search.” He left the room, walking past Dr. Tenzing who had just arrived.
Dr. Tenzing came over to the bed and asked, “Queen Koriann, how do you feel?”
“I think I’m in full labor. I know first babies aren’t supposed to come so fast.”
“All labors are different. Some babies make rapid entrances into the world.”
Just then Najetta and Sharma rushed into the room in their bathrobes. “Excuse our intrusion,” Najetta said. “Dr. Tenzing told us you were in labor. We’re here to help, if you need us.”
Sharma looked around. “Where’s Erling? Isn’t he supposed to be here?”
Koriann gasped as the next contraction started, trying to keep from crying out in pain. Najetta rushed over and held her hand. “Don’t be afraid, child. Having a baby is a natural process. Relax and take deep breaths.”
Once the contraction passed, Koriann said, “I don’t know where Erling is. I’m worried something’s wrong.”
***
Toemeka moaned in her sleep as she dreamed of a dark force closing in on Michio. He started running through the mountains. The darkness kept closing in on him. The dream shifted and she heard him say, “Toemeka, wake up. Escape!” His inner voice became part of the dream.