Phobia (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria) (25 page)

While Wisteria couldn
’t understand the rules of the road, it seemed all the drivers where somehow able to avoid collisions and maintain their unholy speed without any discernable pattern. She guessed it must be the far-eye they used. She became acutely aware she was at Enric’s mercy. “Where we going?”

“
Hall of Ages, which is why we came here.” Accelerating again, Enric sent Wisteria and Garfield careening to the back.

“
Doesn’t this over-car-thing have seat belts?” Garfield groaned, reseating himself. “I almost broke my neck.”

“
No, the Family have a greater sense of balance than humans, so seat belts would be redundant,” Enric spun the vehicle around and climbed higher into the sky. “And on the rare occasions I bruise, I simply regenerate.”

“
What happens to the Thayns?” Wisteria asked. “Don’t they travel in these things?”

The vehicle cam
e to another violent stop and again, the kids crashed forward.

“
Our shock compressors limit the extent of any collisions or sudden stops. Otherwise, you both would have been dead.” Enric smirked as Wisteria crawled up onto the seat again. “Thayns are too valuable to—”

“
What in the hell is that?” Wisteria noticed three vintage hovering trucks off-loading people into an open field a few yards away. “Why are they herding so many people there?”

“
Looks like a concert,” Garfield guessed.

“The Dy’obeths are rounding up all the humans in the realm to purify the Family from them,” Enric answered.

“
When you say purify…?” Wisteria doubted this was going some sort of sacred bath.

“
Exterminate,” Enric elaborated.

“
So, why do they look so happy?” Garfield asked.

The Thayns
seemed content, standing around it the field picking flowers or chatting with each other. A few were having a picnic, while the children busied themselves playing games.

“
They’re brainwashed to be loyal to the Family, so they’re happy doing whatever their liege’s ask—in this case dying,” Wisteria remarked.

“
Merce lied about not keeping Thayns. These people are monsters,” Garfield remarked in disgust.

“
The Fifth Pillar, generally, do not have Thayns unlike most of the Family,” Enric answered.

“
No, they’re like the rest of the Family, otherwise there wouldn’t be hundreds of humans out there waiting to die.” Wisteria leaned her head on the glass. She had to do something.

“
If that were true, both of you would be dead,” Enric snapped. “Merce, Turia and I are risking our lives by having you here, so show some gratitude.”

“
Gratitude? You brought me here because it furthers your agenda. Not because you care—”

“
I do care what happens to humans. Things are different now,” Enric said.

“
Really?” She scoffed. “What changed? You let Hailey die without a second thought.”

“
There was no time to save your friend and get away from that place safely.” Enric fumed.

“
No. You wanted her dead. You never wanted her to be here.” Wisteria pointed out

“
Did you?” Enric grimaced.

“
No, but I didn’t want her dead,” she said.

“
I did not either, but it happened because she was in the wrong place. We dragged her and the other one through two thresholds. Against my better judgment, I did not leave your people in Smythe to die.” Enric seethed.

“
Why? What changed Enric?” she demanded.

“
Before Radala died, I never considered humans anything more than cattle,” Enric admitted. “She believed you were worth dying for and—”

“
You don’t want her death to be for nothing,” she guessed.

“
She was right about Dy’obeths returning. She might have been right about humans being—” Enric sighed. “The truth is, most of the Fifth Pillar do not believe in subjugating the humans, but a small minority do. The Thayns you see out there belong to them.”

“
Why don’t the Fifth Pillar ban Thayns if they feel it is so wrong?” she questioned.

“
Every Famila has rights. Even if they prohibited the Fifth Pillar from keeping them, no one could stop my Pillar or any of the others from having Thayns,” explained Enric.

“
Like people from your Pillar?” Wisteria recalled Enric was from the Third Pillar, like Bach and their Pillar kept Thayns.

“
What about the rights of the Thayns?” Garfield asked. “They didn’t ask to be brainwashed.”

“
A few of them did,” Enric revealed.

“
That’s rubbish.” Wisteria stared at the growing crowd of happy Thayns below. “No one would choose this life.”

“
Your world is not so perfect that a few unhappy or confused souls would choose a life of pleasure over suffering.” Enric went on.

“
A life of pleasure? They are being exterminated,” Wisteria continued. “No one would choose that.”

“
But until now they were happy. Look at them now. Do they not still look happy?” asked Enric.

“
The vast majority of the Thayns were tricked or forced into this life,” Wisteria added passionately.

“
Would they not prefer their life here, than waking up and having to face the plague in your world?” Enric inquired.

“
Don’t talk about what you can’t comprehend,” Wisteria countered. “I can’t say I know what’s best for the humans here, but being a Thayn isn’t it.”

“
I agree with you,” Enric said quietly. “The Thayns don’t belong among us.”

“
No, they should be dead right?” Garfield retorted sarcastically.

“
No, the Dy’obeths are doing to the Family, what the Family’s been doing to humans and he finally gets it.” Wisteria realized as she watched the happily imprisoned Thayns.

“
Why didn’t the Dy’obeths kill them all? Why gather them like this?” Garfield asked.

“
Why aren’t we moving?” She noticed while looking around at the hundreds of vehicles dashing past them in all directions.

“
I told you, do not tell me how to drive,” Enric answered.

Again,
the overland shot forward and slammed to a halt.

“
Enric,” she cried as she slammed forward, hitting him. “You’re enjoying this.”

“
Something is wrong. That was not me.” Enric shook his far-eye as the vehicle started to descend.

“
We’re going to crash?” She peered down as they descend over the field of Thayns.

“
We will land safely.” Enric adjusted the far-eye. “Do not worry.”

“
Don’t worry? We’re going to land in the middle of the Thayns.” She gasped.

The
window behind her shattered and in less than a second later, she was pulled through. “No!” She clutched onto Garfield and the sides of the door. While she clambered to break free, she felt giddy again. “Not now…”

“
D’cara
.” Enric rushed to grab hold of her. “Bach, no!”

She
passed out.

I am afraid

Hours later, the sun started to set as Lluc entered Bach’s chamber in Mirrin Forrest.

“
Where is she?” Lluc demanded.

Bach sat in an empty room furnished with only a table and two chairs. He didn
’t want to disturb her until he could figure out what had happened. “Why do you think she is here?”

“
I can smell the molasses. Nular had that scent before she conceived Lleo, so unless you have another woman here—in heat—it is safe to say Wisteria is here.”

Bach didn
’t respond.

“
Answer me,” Lluc demanded.

Looking up, Bach squinted at Lluc, but remained silent.

“You
vadda
.” Storming up to him, Lluc took him by the neck and tossed him across the room. “Are you crazy? You grabbed her in broad daylight and you bring her here—to the first place anyone would look. What would happen if High Father or a Dy’obeth saw you?”

Groaning, Bach collided into the stone wall.
“You did not complain when we went to Smythe.”

“
Going after her on Smythe was not an issue because Dy’obeths do not care about what happens on Earth, but going to the Moon Desert and dragging her out, puts everything we are planning at risk.”

“
But I was not seen.” Rising to his feet, Bach stormed up to Lluc. He grabbed the wooden chair and smashed it over his brother’s head, cutting Lluc’s face in the process.

When
the chair shattered to pieces over Lluc’s head and shoulders, Bach couldn’t believe he’d just hurt his brother.
We have to make him pay,
the darkness commanded. Never in his life, would Bach have dreamed of attacking Lluc in cold blood, but the darkness in him knew he needed to remain dominant over anyone—even Lluc.

Forcing hi
mself up, Lluc lunged at him. “You better work harder than that to stop me or I will break you.” Grinning, Lluc dove at Bach, driving him back against the wall.

“
You can’t hurt me. No one can.” Bach thrust Lluc off, causing his brother to smash into the ceiling.

Lluc
landed a few feet away and struggled to get to his feet. “What is wrong with you? Why did you not wait? We would have gotten her in time.”

“
I understand what is at stake.” Panting, Bach watched Lluc. He was done hurting him. “I would not have jeopardized the plan without a reason.”

“
There were extenuating circumstances? What were they?”

“
You will not understand.” Bach adjusted his clothes. “But I will move her.”

Seizing Bach
’s shoulder, Lluc forced him to stop. “What are you hiding?”

“
She will be gone.” Yanking free, Bach headed to the door, leading to the chamber where Wisteria was stashed.

“
Bach—”

“
I don’t even remember bringing her here. I never left this place after we got back from Smythe, but I must have left because I can sense she is here.” Bach examined his bruised hands and dirty shoes.

“
It is simply your true self fighting for control. You have to stop resisting it or these black outs will continue.”

“
My true self? All it wants is blood. But that is what you want too.”
You want to slaughter everyone that has ever hurt us or taken what belongs to us.

“
You are a Dy’obeth, you love blood.” Lluc smiled.

“
How bad is it?”

“
Amazingly, only one empiric—my Drone—saw you. We are fine as no empiric, Drone or free minded, would ever question a Dy’obeth of High Father’s bloodline.”

“
At least Didan is gone. If he’d heard a rumor he would have been impossible to dissuade. While I’m glad he is finally gone, I don’t understand why he came to Smythe with us.”

“
I thought it would be easier to eliminate him away from the Family and Dy’obeth.”

“
You thought?”

Lluc exhaled.
“Beraz regenerated him.”

“
What?”

“
Apparently, he was too good of an empiric to let go and one of the few Famila who genuinely is pleased the Dy’obeths have returned.”

“
I will end him.” Marching up to the table, Bach flung it across the room and it smashed against a walls.

“
If you touch Beraz’s pet, you will infuriate him and you do not want to be dragged into another fight with him.”

“
I am not afraid of Beraz or any other of the brethren.”

“
But Mother wants him alive to witness the end. I heard you have designs on Maniko and on Beraz’s seat, but you are going to have to wait until this is over to settle your rivalry.”

“
I am not his rival. I do not want his seat or that girl. My mate is here.”

“
But you cannot tell him or anyone that. If you do, Wisteria will be slaughtered like a common Thayn.”

“
I will protect her.”

“
Unless that is what you secretly want? To be free of your Terran curse and the hold she has over you.” Lluc smirked.