Chapter 30
They returned to the mainland the following morning. Harold and Derian halted their search for Eirik in anticipation of the arrival of the others and waited in a forested area about thirty miles north of the ancient library.
Zachariah sought out Derian shortly after they reached the forest. The tattooed Mercesti male stood talking with Melanthe, peering at an ethereal map of the plane that must have been produced by a Waresti. Melanthe spotted Zachariah first. Derian followed her gaze and then turned to greet him.
“Welcome back, sir,” he said.
“Thank you. I heard through Uriel that you’ve had difficulty tracking Eirik. I wanted to get your thoughts on that.”
Derian caught Melanthe’s gaze. She nodded and stepped away, excusing herself. Zachariah watched her approach Tate and her family, who had gathered a few feet away. She issued enthusiastic congratulations to Clara Kate over her pregnancy and ascension to elder.
“Best to speak of this privately,” Derian said in a low voice.
Before stepping away, Zachariah glanced at Tate. She was angled away from him, so his gaze brushed the back of her head. Due to the weather and their travels, she had decided against wearing her usual hair accents. Instead, she had pulled her colorful curls back at the temples and secured that part of her hair with a red jeweled comb. The rest of her curls spiraled down her back. His focus was on her safety, but he couldn’t help but notice how her hair drew attention to her trim waist and the curves of her hips.
I’ll be right here
, she conveyed, not stopping her conversation with Tiege.
Talk to Derian.
My thoughts are open to you
.
Nodding, Zachariah walked a short distance away with the other male. Although they were out of hearing range of the others, they could see everyone from their positions.
“I apologize, but this topic is one I’ve discussed with commander Harold at some length,” Derian began. “In light of our failure to find Eirik or his closest followers, we’ve deduced that someone with knowledge of our efforts is aiding him.”
Although he’d come to the same conclusion himself after speaking with Uriel, Zachariah frowned. Once again, he glanced at Tate. The traitor could be only feet from her.
“I suspect it’s one of us,” Derian said, following his gaze.
He meant a Mercesti. “I’m certain of it,” Zachariah said. “And it’s someone in a position with access to specific details about our plans.”
Derian’s eyes shifted to him. His usually fierce expression sobered as he absorbed the words and their implication. Zachariah knew what the other male intended to ask before he even opened his mouth.
“Of course it isn’t you,” he said, and watched the tension in Derian’s shoulders ease. “Bloody hell. You should know I’m a better judge of character than that.”
Clearing his throat, Derian said, “Aye, sir.”
Both of the males looked around the camp. Because the temperature had dropped, the crisp air plumed white around everyone’s heads as they breathed. Several fires burned in an effort to ward off the chill. A mix of Mercesti, Waresti and other classes moved around the area, seemingly united. The reality that they weren’t was even more chilling than the weather.
“We need to identify the traitor before we leave this place,” Zachariah said.
“How?”
“Simple. We’ll ask.”
Looking again at Tate, he thought,
I need your help, Beautiful
.
She turned from her conversation with Tiege, a bright, dimpled smile on her face resulting from whatever her brother had said. When her brilliant blue-green gaze latched onto him, Zachariah felt the breath seize in his throat. He wondered if he would ever be able to look at her and not have this reaction. When she started in his direction, her hips swaying with each step, he knew the answer.
Ariana was clearly trying to provoke him with her wardrobe choices for his avowed. Tate’s black pants conformed to her feminine curves, as did the deep blue-green, long-sleeved top she wore. Her black leather boots reached all the way to the middle of her thighs, just above which she wore black leather holsters bearing her blessed nunchucks. Glittering red jewelry decorated her ears, wrists and throat. Tate insisted on wearing the accent color now, seemingly wanting the world to know to whom she was paired.
I thought you’d never ask
, she thought, stopping beside him and brushing his bicep with her fingertips. She couldn’t seem to be near him without touching him. He pretended not to notice. She grinned, knowing his thoughts. Then she looked at the other Mercesti.
“Hello. You’re Derian, right? We never got the chance to officially meet. I’m Tate.”
She extended her hand. Derian stared back at her. His face bore no expression, but his red eyes moved from her hair to her eye markings to her vivid wardrobe choices.
“Thank you for saving Sophia and risking so much to save me and Ariana,” she said, seemingly unperturbed by his lack of response. When he still didn’t return her handshake, she started to lower her arm.
He reached out and took her hand in both of his. “Nay, milady. Thank ye for bringing commander Zachariah back to us.”
Blinking at the power behind his response, Tate looked at Zachariah. She smiled when she said, “Oh, he did that all on his own.”
Derian squeezed her hand, drawing her attention. “We both know that’s not true.”
She held his gaze for a moment, her smile fading.
“And he picked an ideal female as his avowed,” he continued. “One willing to risk her life to save the Estilorian plane from Eirik’s evil.”
Zachariah knew she was going to argue because she felt undeserving of Derian’s praise. To avoid her argument and his resulting irritation, he reached out and took her hand from Derian. He held the other male’s gaze for a long moment until Derian stood straighter and nodded.
“Right, then,” Derian said. “How do ye want to go about it, sir?”
“Ask them.”
Not questioning the order, Derian turned to face the encampment. He raised his voice and asked, “Have any of ye fed information to Eirik about our efforts to find him?”
A series of negative responses ensued. Tate’s gaze moved around the campsite as she watched for the reaction generated through her lie-detecting power. Zachariah tapped into her thoughts. He was sure Derian was curious about what they were doing. They had been deliberately vague about Tate’s abilities as they got to know the new Mercesti. All Derian really knew was that she could shatter illusions.
After a moment, Zachariah exchanged a look with Tate.
“Well?” Derian prompted.
“Who is away from camp?” Zachariah asked.
“Verrell, Alys and Oria have gone to meet with our allies to recruit their aid. Why?”
“Because one of them is the traitor.”
Metis found that her time alone after her botched plan to kidnap the Kynzesti elder gave her more perspective on things. Although she loathed to admit it, she wasn’t the most brilliant strategist. Yes, she had inherited some impressive mental abilities, but those weren’t enough to get her close to the Kynzesti elder and the last scroll piece. Thanks to her limited time outside of Tethys’ lair, she wasn’t experienced enough to blend among the other Estilorians. Just her manner of speech had aroused suspicion and she had no way of knowing what other blunders she might make. While she knew she could follow thoughts to get to the last scroll piece, she knew she couldn’t do it alone.
She needed Eirik.
Oh, how she hated that fact. For the past few weeks, she had wanted nothing more than to best the Mercesti male. He’d treated her abominably, contributed to Deimos’ death and most certainly planned to kill her. But she knew he was the best chance she had at acquiring the scroll.
After her departure from the main base, she landed in the forest outside the ancient library. She figured Eirik wouldn’t be there after all this time, but she could possibly find Estilorians nearby who could lead her to him. As soon as she landed, she opened her thoughts and searched for anyone near enough for her to hear.
She didn’t identify any thoughts at first. After a few minutes, she moved north to continue her search. While trying to keep her thoughts contained enough to avoid detection by the Orculesti or Wymzesti elders, she scanned the trees and hoped to catch a stray mental signature.
She hadn’t walked for fifteen minutes before she was grabbed from behind. She gasped in surprise as her legs left the ground. Instinctively, she sent a thought to her captor to release her.
“Your powers have no influence on me, Orculesti,” a male voice growled. “I have had many centuries to shore up my mental defenses.”
What were his intentions? Having borne witness to it numerous times, she knew all too well what Mercesti males enjoyed doing to females. Would she have to kill this male and assume his form to protect herself?
“Let’s see what Eirik wants to do with you, shall we?” he said.
Where any other being might have cowered, Metis relaxed. She didn’t bother fighting when the male put her on her feet and prodded her forward. If he found her compliance odd, he didn’t mention it. She studied their path as they walked, trying to orient herself. If she had to flee for any reason, it would be best to have some kind of exit plan in mind.
They hiked for a number of miles before they finally reached their destination. Metis spotted Eirik the moment the Mercesti camp came into view. His height was accentuated by the spiked half-ponytail on his head. Despite the chill, he wore only his usual furred vest, pants and boots. Her gaze fell on the curvy black blades of his cursed krises, secured in a harness on his back. As though sensing her gaze, he turned and spotted her. She tried to intercept thoughts from him or those around him, but there was only silence. That was when she realized he had at least one mentally gifted Mercesti in his group. She threw up what defenses she had to keep that Mercesti from intercepting her thoughts.
“Look what I found wandering around the forest,” her captor said.
The rest of the Mercesti standing around the campsite also turned to look at her. She couldn’t prevent a hard swallow when she saw the expressions on some of their faces. When she’d had Deimos by her side, she’d been protected. Now, especially with her mental abilities serving her little purpose, she felt vulnerable.
“An Orculesti spy,” one of the males said, shifting his gaze from her to Eirik and back.
Straightening her shoulders, she responded, “Do not be ridiculous. Eirik, it is me…Metis.”
His gaze narrowed. “Is that so? You are incredibly stupid to present yourself to me, traitor.”
“Traitor?” She lifted her chin. “I have been attempting to recover the two females to bring them back to you. Do you know what I have gone through in my efforts? What I have risked and sacrificed for you?”
He frowned.
“The females used trickery to escape,” she continued. “They were already out of the cage when I returned from delivering you here. They incapacitated me and ran into the maze. In the end, I had no choice but to change forms and do what I could to make up for my—error in judgment.” The last lie was hard to speak, but she thought she sounded convincing enough.
He studied her in silence for a long moment. Then he said, “Yet you come to me empty-handed?”
She dug her nails into her hands to prevent a biting response. “Yes, my lord,” she replied. “I have failed. The females are too well-protected. I knew I had to return to you and beg your forgiveness.”
“Is that what you call this?”
Unable to stop herself, she snarled, “It is as close to begging as you will see from me.”
His scarred eyebrow lifted. He took a step closer, towering over her. “That sounds more like the Metis I know,” he said.
He reached out and lifted a strand of her hair, rubbing it between two fingers as he held her gaze. Then he grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her closer. She bit back a cry of pain.
“And I do not believe you for a second,” he continued. “You had better hope you are telling me the truth, female, or your death will go down as the longest and most painful in Estilorian history. Now, tell me why you went to Central and tried to kidnap the Kynzesti named Clara Kate.”
Chapter 31
Clara Kate didn’t argue when Ini-herit insisted on carrying her as they flew toward the scroll piece. She wanted to try and retain as much energy as she could, uncertain about what lay ahead.
She didn’t mind spending time in his arms, either. Every time he touched her, he made her want to grab him and kiss him until they forgot everything else. Adding to the impact he had on her senses, he had asked Sebastian to cut his hair the night before. It was now the length it had been when he was a human. He said he had done it because it was easier to maintain. She just knew he was hot as hell. Just being in the flight harness had her imagination working overtime.
As the afternoon transitioned to night, the temperature dropped. Sebastian generated special face shields to keep the cold air from burning their eyes or skin. The lavender energy glowed along with their many luminescent wings against the darkening sky. Clara Kate knew they’d have to land soon to avoid detection. Eirik and his followers were likely right behind them.
Harold and Derian had separated their forces from the rest of the group, hoping to intercept Eirik. Until they re-established communication with Verrell, Alys and Oria, however, they had no way of knowing how close the Mercesti was or how much he knew of their plans.
They took every precaution. Aside from her father, every elder flew with them. Malukali and Knorbis exercised their abilities as they flew, intercepting and masking thoughts. Hundreds of Waresti served as their escort, with many more working under Harold’s command in search of Eirik. They even had Nyx back among them, the fully healed kragen having returned just before they took flight in pursuit of the third scroll piece.
Despite their efforts, the fact that there were so many unknowns about their path had Clara Kate more afraid than she could ever remember feeling. Yes, she had been scared for her cousins and Ariana during their recent rescue efforts. But she had been able to retain her focus. She had known that Quincy, Tiege and Zachariah bore the brunt of the fear for Sophia, Tate and Ariana, and she had known that she had to remain strong for them.
Now, her fear was for Ini-herit. It was for their unborn baby. It was raw and undiluted terror that she would lose the two things most precious to her. She had so much to fight for now.
We’ll get through this
, Ini-herit thought, his hold around her tightening.
I’m sorry that I can’t contain my thoughts
, she returned, giving his hand a squeeze.
It’s all right. I want to share these things with you. We can handle anything together.
His thoughts comforted her, as did the confidence he conveyed. He was right. She needed to tap into his faith and exercise her own Corgloresti abilities. Something told her that it was going to take a lot more than just strength and strategy to defeat Eirik.
“We need to land,” Malukali said.
No one questioned her. Within minutes, they touched down on a large, sandy expanse of ground without any nearby trees or buildings. Clara Kate heard the sound of crashing waves in the distance. The sun fell completely beneath the horizon as everyone gathered together. A biting wind whipped up grains of sand that struck Sebastian’s shields like projectiles from a weapon.
At Uriel’s command, the Waresti fanned out to patrol the area. Clara Kate briefly caught Alexius’ eye before he turned to go. She couldn’t help but worry for him. Looking up at Ini-herit, she drew again on his quiet confidence. Then she turned her focus to the elders and her family.
“I have picked up Metis’ thought signature,” Malukali said, making Clara Kate tense. “Knorbis has intuited that she’s on the mainland and attempting to use her Orculesti abilities to find us. After all of these hours of flight, my energy is flagging. I need rest if I’m going to prevent her from picking up on our thoughts and coming right to us.”
“Have you been able to interpret any of her thoughts?” Sophia asked.
“No, but I intend to apply my power to that task.” Malukali looked at Clara Kate. “We still don’t know why Metis attempted to get you away from Central or what she intends to do, but it’s safe to assume that she’s also after the scroll piece.”
“I also think it’s likely that Metis will reconnect with Eirik, if she hasn’t already done so,” Knorbis said. “She’ll know her greatest chance to succeed against us is if she joins with him.”
“She’ll use him as a distraction,” Zachariah mused, his gaze narrowed in thought. “She thinks that he’ll be our primary focus, and she considers him dispensable. As soon as she has honed in on the location of the final scroll piece, she’ll do anything she has to—sacrifice anyone she has to—in order to get it.”
“What makes you so sure of that?” Jabari asked.
“It’s what I would do.”
There was a pause as everyone thought about this. Clara Kate’s gaze moved among the members of her family, ending on Ini-herit. Would Metis kill one or more of them in her quest for power? For that matter, would Eirik? It was terrifying to consider.
“We should heed Knorbis’ foresight and Zachariah’s strategic ability,” Uriel said. “Assuming this is true, Metis is leading Eirik to us even now. Harold has yet to come across their path. According to the Waresti traveling with Derian, they haven’t found any signs of him, either.
“So the real question is, where is he?”
Ariana made sure Tate and Zachariah had a weather-proof tent and comfortable cot to sleep in before she retreated to her own tent in hopes of resting. She highly doubted she’d succeed.
Her chest hurt from the intensity of her fear. She wondered if her heart could endure its constant state of agitation. It felt like it was bruised from slamming against her breastbone. Her trembling body had less to do with the weather than her raging emotions.
Stepping into her tent, she allowed the flap to fall behind her. She’d left a ball of light bouncing against the tent’s ceiling, so she saw Tiege sitting on the edge of her cot. Her hand flew to her throat as she fought back a scream.
“Oh,” she managed to choke out.
He got to his feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She wanted to say that he hadn’t, that it wasn’t a big deal. Instead, tears filled her eyes. A loud sob burst from her.
“No,” he said, hurrying forward and pulling her against him. “Please, Ariana. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think.”
His words made her feel even worse for her outburst, but she couldn’t stop the flood now that he’d opened the gates. She wept against his chest, the feel of his protective armor against her cheek reinforcing the severity of what they faced. This was the third time she’d guided others to a piece of the Elder Scroll. Each time before had resulted in bloodshed and devastation. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t being forced to lead this group. In fact, it was worse. She felt like she was leading the family she had grown to love to their deaths.
Tiege stopped talking and just held her, stroking her hair, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. His tenderness intensified her heartache. How could she face losing him?
That thought finally helped her calm down. She couldn’t lose him. She
wouldn’t
.
She wouldn’t let Eirik take Tiege from her. She wouldn’t let him destroy the happiness she had found since he killed her best friend, Tisha, and abducted her. It didn’t matter what it took. She was going to make sure Eirik was defeated once and for all.
When her tears dried, she pulled away from Tiege and caught his gaze. “Thank you,” she said in a soft voice. “You didn’t cause that, you know.”
He brushed a strand of her hair from her cheek. The action sent pleasant shivers along her spine. “I do know,” he said. “I still feel like an ass.”
That brought an unexpected smile to her face. “Of course you do. You love me.”
He returned the smile, revealing the dimple that matched his twin’s. “You’re right. As a matter of fact, that’s what got me into trouble here.”
Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I came in here to ask you to avow with me.”
Her mouth opened. For a moment, she couldn’t even form a reply. Then she asked, “Now?”
“Yes.” Holding her gaze, he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out two rings. “I didn’t want to rush you, Ariana. I was going to wait until we returned home and Tate and Zachariah had their wedding. But the thing is, I know there are no guarantees that everything will go smoothly tomorrow. Everyone else is connected. Even if they’re apart, they can communicate by thought and feeling. I want that with you, and I don’t want to wait.”
She felt another tear fall when she blinked, but it had nothing to do with fear. “I don’t want to wait either,” she said.
Without another word, he pressed his ring into her right hand. Then he took her left hand in his. Her heart swelled when he conveyed all that he felt with just one look.
“I, Tiege, love you, Ariana, with all of my being. You’ve captured my heart with your strength, generosity and kindness, and it will remain your willing prisoner for the rest of my existence. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and my unbreakable commitment to you.”
A current of energy flowed from her left ring finger when he placed her ring there, signifying his half of the avowing. It coursed through her with each beat of her heart.
Smiling, she lifted his left hand and said, “I, Ariana, love you, Tiege, with all of my being. You’ve captured my heart with your strength, generosity and kindness, and it will remain your willing prisoner for the rest of my existence. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and my unbreakable commitment to you.”
She slid the ring onto his finger. Then they entwined their left hands so their rings touched and kissed to seal the vow.
Pain flashed around her eyes, along her right shoulder blade and on the inside of her right wrist. Although the last pain surprised her, she ignored it. All that mattered was Tiege’s kiss and the flood of loving thoughts that filled her mind as they fully connected. She had thought she understood the power of his love for her. She had been wrong.
She had also underestimated the power of his attraction to her.
Pulling away from his mouth to catch her breath, she held his gaze. She smiled as she intercepted the thoughts he couldn’t contain. Running her hand along the hard muscles of his chest, she said, “You don’t want to stop with just a kiss to seal our vow, do you?”
“No,” he said roughly.
She felt his heart racing under her fingertips. It empowered her. Grabbing his hand, she led him toward her cot. “Do you want to know one of the nice things about being a full Estilorian female, my love? We can’t get pregnant.”
He blinked as she lowered onto the cot. Then he grinned. “Well, then…this vow is about to get one helluva seal.”
Zachariah issued a curse as his wrist flared with pain. Beside him, Tate gasped and flinched. They both sat up in the cot and looked at each other.
“What the hell?”
He reached over and took her right hand, turning it so he could see the inside of her wrist. Tate tossed up a light so she could see, too. When his vision readjusted to the brightness, he studied the symbol that now marked them both. It was an infinity knot in the shape of a clover bearing four leaves, each a different color: deep blue-green, silver, lavender and red.
Tate gasped again. “Tiege must have avowed with Ariana!” she exclaimed, leaping from the cot. “I’ll bet the others have this mark, too.”
Zachariah grabbed her around the waist to keep her from sprinting out of the tent. “You know better than that.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “Okay, okay. Do your thing, Sparky.”
He shook his head at her as he crossed the tent and eased the flap open. His senses didn’t pick up any danger. Across the small clearing in the center of their accommodations, he saw Quincy and Ini-herit looking out of their tents, too. They all exchanged glances. He held up his wrist. The other two males nodded and briefly lifted theirs to show him the symbols that now appeared there.
Their attention all shifted to Tiege and Ariana’s tent. Although the tent was dark, the soft sounds coming from it told them the couple wouldn’t be emerging for a while.
“Well, is it safe to come out?” Tate asked from behind him.
He moved back inside the tent and resealed the opening. “Not really.”
“What?” She looked at the tent flap. He sensed her warring with the urge to seek out her twin. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he said, tugging her back toward the cot. When she didn’t immediately follow him, he picked her up and carried her. “Tiege is just otherwise occupied.”
“But I want to know if he avowed with Ariana. Do the others have this marking? What does it mean?”
Laying her on the cot, he said, “I’m quite sure he avowed with Ariana, which is why the symbol appeared. The elders deduced that the eight of us are linked. It appears they were correct. And, yes, the others have the same mark. I saw Quincy and Ini-herit when I looked outside.”
“But not Tiege?” She nibbled on her lower lip, drawing his attention to her lush mouth as he again settled beside her on the cot.
“No, not Tiege.”
“Why wouldn’t he and Ariana come out and tell us about their pairing? What could be more important than sharing such wonderful news?”
“I could tell you,” Zachariah said, bracing himself above her. “But it would just be more bloody fun to show you.”
Then he made sure that the last thing she was thinking about was her brother.