Illarion knew in his gut that this was going to be a disaster. He could feel it with every drakomas instinct he had.
Helena glared at Max as they started filing out of the dungeon. "I have a bad feeling about this."
As the last Apollite animal filed past them, Illarion began to breathe a little easier. They were almost out of here.
True to his word, Eumon helped them relocate to a small campground in the forest, where he and Max made sure everyone had a place to sleep and something to eat.
As Max started away, Eumon stopped him. "All these weeks and you've said nothing. You've pretended to be mute. Why?"
"There was nothing to say. Your uncle ripped us from our homes and lives for you. Both Apollite and animal. No regard for what we thought or wanted. And then we were turned into this?" He gestured angrily at his human body. "You may have desired the dragon in you, Highness, but I promise you, neither Illarion nor I wanted this. Nor did any of the others. Now that you have some of my brother's genetics inside you, you should know exactly how we think. What we feel."
"You have a fierce code of honor and kinship. That's where this comes from?"
Max inclined his head. "And now you tell me that your gods have decreed our death for your deeds. How do you think that makes me feel?"
"I will talk to my father. He's a reasonable man."
Illarion scoffed at his blind stupidity.
"He loves us."
"That just makes him highly unreasonable."
The prince nodded. "If you and your brother come with me ... Let my father see that you're capable of rational thought and speech. It will change everything. I promise. Come and help me to set this right."
Illarion wended his way through the others to approach Max. Surely you don't believe his lies.
"We have to try."
Illarion wanted to beat him for that. The last thing he wanted to do was participate in this madness. But he loved his brother too much to let him go about his stupidity alone. Besides, he owed Max.
So together, they headed back toward the palace, with Eumon in the lead.
For the first time ever, they emerged out of the dungeon and into the palace grounds that led to the immaculate rooms the royal family called home.
They had just reached the gardens when a man who appeared eerily similar to Vane approached them.
"What is this?"
"We're going to see Father."
The newcomer scowled with fierce disapproval. "What have you done?"
The prince let out a tired sigh. "Linus, please. I have to speak to him and I don't have time."
"You heard what the priest told Father. We've angered the gods. If you don't return them for execution right now, they'll demand our heads, too! Do you want to die?"
"And what's to stop them from doing that anyway after the others are gone? The gods are capricious. You know that. I don't trust them to kill us, anyway."
Linus gestured at Max and then Illarion. "But you would trust an animal?"
"They're not just animals. They can speak."
Linus scoffed. "Now you're being ridiculous. Did you perchance eat a bad lotus batch?"
"He's not wrong."
Linus's gaze had widened at the sound of Max's voice. "You can think and talk?"
"Of course."
Illarion cursed Max's trusting innocence as he saw the light in the prince's eyes. This was going to go badly for them.
His eyes darkened dangerously as he moved to confront Max. "Are you the reason Dagon did this to me?"
"Did what?"
In response to his brother's question, Linus turned on Eumon. "Or did you do it?"
"Do what?" Eumon repeated.
Linus raked him with a scathing glare. "You were always Father's favored son. Had your life not been threatened, I'm sure he'd have let me die, as he did our mother."
Eumon let out a tired sigh. "I don't have time for your insecurities. Move aside."
"Oh, right. You never have time, do you?" Linus sneered at Helena. "You took the bride that was meant for me and now you took my true animal form. I should have been the dragon. Not you!"
"What madness do you speak?"
"Helena was my bride!"
She lifted her chin defiantly. "I refused your hand after I met you. There's a cruelty in you, Linus, that scares me. Treaty or not, I would never have married into this family had I not met Eumon and seen for myself that, unlike you, he has a soul."
Shrieking in anger, he lunged at her, but Max caught him and forced him back. "Stop it. We have dire business to attend to here."
Linus roared in anger. "You could have convinced Dagon to give me the form I wanted, but instead you chose to remain silent? Did you kill your own to keep me from being like you, too? You did, didn't you?"
"What?"
Linus shoved Max away. "You all disgust me. You never let me have what I want."
He's mad, brother. We should leave.
Max nodded at Illarion, finally agreeing with him. Protect the princess.
As Illarion moved in to comply, Linus pulled out a knife and attacked. "Don't you turn your back on me, Eumon! I will not be disregarded!"
Eumon shoved him aside as he lunged for Illarion. "Are you stupid? He's the animal, you moron! I'm the prince. How can you not tell us apart?"
Those words were highly offensive. Especially since the only way to tell them apart was by the finery one wore and the filth that coated Illarion. In his opinion, it said more for Linus that he hadn't noticed their difference in dress.
Linus wrested his hand and weapon free from his brother. "I should have been heir! I'm far more worthy!"
Eumon had laughed in his face. "You were never worthy." With that, he disarmed him and kicked him back.
Horrified, Max had helped Illarion to his feet. Then placed his body between Illarion and the princes to protect him.
Rolling his eyes, Eumon threw the knife down. "Ignore him." He chucked Max on the arm and then Illarion. "Follow me and we'll settle this."
As they started away, Max caught the movement from the corner of his eye. He turned to disarm Linus, but he still hadn't mastered his human body. Before he could do anything to stop it, Linus stabbed him, then turned on the others.
Furious, Illarion attacked.
"Stop!" Eumon growled, trying to get between them.
Max knew the prince would be hurt if he didn't remove him from the conflict. "Highness?" He pulled him back at the same time Illarion and Linus staggered together, fighting for control of the knife.
They slammed hard into Max and Eumon, knocking them off balance and sending them reeling.
In a huge clump, the four of them fell to the ground.
As Max went to stand, Illarion realized they were covered in a lot more blood than they should have been. Stunned, it took him several seconds to realize it was Eumon whose artery had been sliced open in their fall.
Panting for air, the prince met Max's gaze. "Protect my wife."
His eyes haunted, Linus pushed himself to his feet and staggered back. Dropping the knife, he pressed his blood-soaked hand to his lips.
"Highness?"
Screaming in agony, Helena had rushed forward to weep by her husband's side. "Don't leave me, Eumon! Stay with me!" She applied pressure to his wound, but it was too late.
As his last act, Eumon reached up and removed Max's collar so that he could shapeshift freely. "Protect them all." And with that he expelled his final breath.
Helena had thrown her head back and shrieked like a harpy. "You beast! You killed my husband!"
"No..." Linus backed up in terror. "You saw for yourself. It was an accident."
Shaking her head, she sobbed and sobbed.
Max glanced to Illarion, who watched on with a sick feeling in his gut. They would take the fall for this. He knew it. What do we do?
I don't know.
But they both knew the truth. Linus was insane and he'd never tell the truth and implicate himself in this
Max swallowed. I have to get them to safety.
Illarion cursed him for that thought. And before he could stop him, Max transformed and scooped him and the princess up in his talons. He took flight.
Her terrified shrieks filled his ears as she insulted his brother and tried to break free. Illarion fought against his grip. Remove my collar so that I can fly, too!
Not yet.
Illarion had a bad feeling about Max's destination.
One that turned out to be all too true when Max finally reached the southern beach. He laid Illarion and the princess down on the white sands, then landed. And before Illarion could protest it, Max summoned the Chthonian who'd been given domain over the demons. The one being who was given protection and charge over their kind.
Granted, no one had seen the bastard in centuries, and all kinds of speculations abounded. Some said Savitar had finally died of the wounds he'd sustained during the great Chthonian War. Others that the Greek god Mache had cursed him in retaliation for being bound and imprisoned.
Another said that the goddess Apollymi had drowned him when she sank Atlantis. There was even a rumor that Artemis had captured him and was keeping him as her pet on Olympus.
Throwing his head back, Max let out a summoning cry for the beast.
The princess shrank away from him as the waves rolled in and out on the beach.
"What is he doing?" she asked, throwing her hands over her ears to mute the sounds of his call.
Max ignored her as he continued to summon Savitar.
When he arrived, his lavender eyes glowed as he paused by Illarion's side and swept his gaze over the blood-soaked gown on the cringing princess. "Seems I missed an impressive party. Care to enlighten me, dragon?"
Max quickly told him what had been done to them, and what had happened to Eumon and Illarion. "I need your help, Chthonian."
Savitar had scoffed. "I'm done helping others. Last time I did that ... it turned out badly for everyone. Especially me, and I rather like me, most days."
"They'll kill us."
"Everyone dies sometime."
"That's it, then? You're literally washing your hands of us?"
Savitar shrugged. "You have a new life. You should enjoy it."
"Until the Fates have us killed, you mean."
Savitar had gone stock-still. "Come again?"
"The Greek Fates? Because of Apollo and Zeus, they've ordered all of us to be put down."
"You should have led with that, little brother."
"Meaning?"
Savitar smiled. "Meaning there isn't much I wouldn't do to make those three bitches scream in agony. Take me to your camp."
By the time they returned, most of the Apollite-animal hybrids were dead. While Illarion and Max had been gone, the guards had found their camp and slaughtered them down to a meager handful.
Illarion had to force himself not to give his brother an I-told-you-so grimace. He just wished, just once, that Max would listen to him.
Disgusted by the cruel horror, Max had walked around the other newly made shapeshifters, assuring them as best he could. But Illarion didn't believe Max any more than they did.
This wasn't going to be all right. They'd all been screwed.
"What are we to do?" they asked in a unified voice.
Illarion met Savitar's gaze.
Savitar stepped forward. "As a new species, I offer you my protection. I will make it known that the Chthonians are aware of you and that no one, especially the gods, are to prey on you without repercussions."
While Savitar dealt with the new species, Max had finally removed Illarion's collar.
About time. Asshole.
"I know. I'm sorry."
Why did you wait?
"In case we were taken, you could have passed as the prince and escaped this cleansing. So long as you remained in a human body you were safe."
I'd rather be slaughtered. Illarion shook his head as he scanned the others. We are an abomination. Are you sure we should have survived? Perhaps it would have been kinder to consign us to death.
"Perhaps. But then, life isn't kind. All we have to get through it is each other. I couldn't stand by and watch them die."
Illarion let out a tired sigh. Your Arel blood seriously screws you at times. What is this innate need you have to protect?
"I don't know, but you should be glad I have it. A sane dragon would have left you behind."
To this day, Illarion wasn't sure if that wouldn't have been the better fate.
As they rounded them up, Lycaon and his army rode in to finish their slaughter.
Until the king saw Savitar. "What is the meaning of this?"
Savitar faced the king without fear. "I'm here to take them to their own lands to live."
"You can't do that."
Savitar arched a brow. "You want to cross me?"
"The gods have decreed--"
"And I, as a Chthonian sworn to protect mortal life from the gods, overturn that decree."
Lycaon shook his head. "You can't do that! They'll kill my children in retaliation."
"It's done."
While they argued, Helena grabbed Max's arm. "You can't let me return to the palace. Not after what's happened."
Confused, he scowled at her. "You want to travel with us, the animals?"
"Please. I'm afraid of what Linus will do to me and my children. While he might keep me alive and claim me as his, he will never suffer my children to live. Not so long as they are heirs to their father's throne. You saw him. His ambitions are ruthless and he will stop at nothing. Worse, we know he killed Eumon. So long as any of us are alive, he'll view us as a threat and want us removed. Understood?"
Illarion had shaken his head. Max ... I know that look on your face. You're the one who's always telling me to stay out of human affairs.
Max had nudged the princess closer to Illarion. "Keep an eye on her for a minute."
Not quite sure what he was doing, Max closed the distance between Savitar and the king. The moment Linus saw him, he did just as his sister-in-law had predicted.
He ordered Max arrested for the murder of his brother, and demanded the return of Helena.
She was right. Linus would never suffer her to live and birth those children. He would kill them and remove them from the line of succession.
"He and his brother slaughtered mine, and I demand their heads for it!"
"Illarion is innocent. I, alone, am responsible."
Illarion started forward to protest, but Max wouldn't have it.
Savitar faced Max with a stern glower. "Do you understand what you're doing?"
Max met Savitar's furious stare. "I only understand what will happen if I don't."
Sighing in disgust, Savitar pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose as if he had a brain tumor forming. As the guards came to retake Max, Savitar stopped them.
"No! The Arcadians you've created are a separate race and shouldn't be subjected to the laws of man." Savitar glared at Linus and his father. "They are a sentient group and should make their own laws to govern them. If Maxis is to face judgment, it will be by a jury of his own hybrid peers and not based on a decision handed down from a scheming brother and grieving father. If travesty is to be done, it should be impartial."
"'Cause that makes it all so much better," Max muttered.
Savitar narrowed a threatening glower at him. "Don't lip me, dragon, or I'll turn you over to them."
"And what of this jury?" Lycaon demanded. "Who's to oversee it?"
"I will personally guarantee it," Savitar said. "You have my word."
Fury, and the promise that this wasn't over, glared out from the king's eyes. "Fine. I'll hold you to it. But I want that dragon's head mounted to my wall for what he's done! I will be expecting you to bring it to me when this is over. Otherwise, I'll be declaring war on this new breed." And with that, the king led his army away.
Illarion finally approached them. I'm glad that's settled. Not even a little.
Savitar laughed bitterly. "You're right. Nothing's over. This is just the beginning. Wait until Zeus and Apollo hear of it." He glanced around at the faces and animals....
Apollites, lions, eagles, falcons, hawks, tigers, wolves, bears, panthers, jackals, leopards, snow leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, and dragons.
"What the hell was Dagon thinking?"
Max let out his own exhausted breath. "That his wife was grieving for her brother and that he had the magick to make it better and to save the lives of her nephews."
"You consider this better?"
Max shrugged at Savitar's question. "Better than death? Aye. Barely."
"And you, dragon, are an idiot."
"I've been called worse." He glanced to Illarion. "And that was just a few hours ago by my brother."
Illarion scoffed. Seconds ago, actually.
Savitar shook his head as he met the gaze of the princess. "Those are the first of their kind you're carrying, you know that, right?"
Her face had gone pale. "What?"
"You conceived them after your husband had been transformed. The good news is, they won't die of the Apollite curse that comes with Eumon's bloodline. The bad news is, the gods won't be happy that your prince thwarted said curse." Savitar growled in aggravation. "There's only so much mitigating I can do. Knowing the gods and those bitches in particular, I can tell you this isn't over. They will have something new in store for us all. And it won't be merciful."
And he'd been right. In spite of the evidence, and Helena's testimony over what had happened, Max had been found guilty during that first Omegrion meeting. When Illarion went to testify, Max had kept him out of it, lest he implicate himself and come under fire.
Better one should be marked than both. He'd pressed upon Illarion the necessity of keeping Helena safe and fulfilling their promise to Eumon. Something they couldn't do if they were both being hunted.
So he'd been marked while Illarion had been left as a Katagari guard for the first Arcadian princes born to a human mother.
But for Max and Illarion, there would have been no Were-Hunters spared the sword.
Only Linus and Eumon.
It was why Illarion hated all of them so.
Lycaon would have gladly slaughtered the rest to spare his two sons from the wrath of the Olympian gods.
One wolf and one dragon.
The worst irony was that neither he nor his brother even held a seat at the very council that had been started because of them. Rather Helena and another Drakos born from an earlier experiment between an Apollite slave and dragon had taken the first Regis positions. Helena as the Arcadian Regis, until her eldest son, Pharell, had been old enough to inherit it, and Cromus, who ceded his place to Helena's Katagari son, Portheus, when he'd come of age.
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