Phobia (Interracial Paranormal Romance) (Wisteria) (46 page)

“
What happens now?” she muttered.

“
Some free minded sentinels and empirics are prepared to help, but every hour more and more are killed, imprisoned or turned into Drones,” Enric explained as they hurried through the darkness. “Once we get out of here, you will tell us your plan.”

Wisteria almost tripped over herself.
“My plan?”

“
Well?” Aleix demanded.

Her plan had been to infect Bach with prax or free him with t
he beadle pin. Both of those had failed.

“
Forget the girl, there is nothing she can do,” Aleix quipped bitterly. “We will assemble the last of the free and take Trogia Palace by force. Leave the Terrans behind.”

“
Eminent, we did not come for you and I will leave you here,” Enric warned.

“
High Father is at this Trogia Palace?” she asked Enric.

“
He is meeting with his Sens right now. Coia will be there too. We will have seconds to do anything.”

“
If you children attack them, you will not last long. High Father and his brethren will decimate you all,” Aleix sneered.

“
I know that,” she said firmly as she closed her eyes to think.

“
What is the plan little girl?” Aleix ridiculed.

“
I need to get Galahad’s Talisman from Coia,” she replied. “We’ll need a diversion.”

“
And Bach?” Garfield asked.

“
There’s nothing I can do for him, he’s one of them now.” It broke her heart to admit it.

“
No, my son is nothing like those animals.” Aleix piped in.

“
What animals are those, Terrans or Dy’obeths?” she glared at him. “You’ve nothing to add to this conversation because left to you, he’d be dead already.”

“
He is still my son,” Aleix said unwavering. “And everything I have done was for his good.”

“
You had Didan stab him,” she reminded him.

“
He would have been regenerated properly had you not taken him from—” Aleix’s face turned red. “This is not helping. If you need a diversion, send me up to him. He will come after me.”

“
Why would you do that? He hates you and will kill you,” Enric noted.

“
I can reach him,” Aleix continued. “I am his father, but you will not understand having a child.”

“
You’d be surprised,” she retorted.

“
But he’s got a point. There’s no one who’s going to provoke Coia more than her ex,” Garfield remarked.

“
No, you said you have people who can fight the Dy’obeths, where are they?” she asked Enric. “How long will it take to organize the attack on the Palace?”

“
I can have ten thousand sentinels here in days,” Aleix answered.

“
We do not have days. How many people can we get in one hour?” she inquired.

“
A hundred at the most. Once I have contacted Yordi, he will mobilize them. Give me a far-eye.” He reached out to Enric.

“
I do not have one. It was damaged after Bach and I—spoke,” Enric replied.

“
Take this.” Garfield handed one to Aleix. “Robinia gave it to me.”

She
snatched it before Aleix could touch it. “You won’t be able to reach your son. He’s dead. A Dy’obeth—”

“
You are not sure about that.” Aleix reached for the far-eye.

“
I was there,” she continued. “I’m sorry.”

Aleix unrolled the artifact.
“Find Yordi,” he commanded to it.

A man hurried to the end of the hall and
signaled for them to move. “It is clear, let’s go.”

T
hey ran quietly through the corridor, passing several unconscious Drones.

*****

Bach leapt up into the air, landing on the balcony overlooking the great hall. He’d joined his mother and Malcolm who stood facing a cracked threshold.

Passing
a window, he saw the streets were deserted and the only sign of life was the odd blood drenched reaper. The airways once filled with overlands were empty.

“
Why are High Father Anab, Beraz and the rest downstairs?” Felip entered. “After everything, they should see this place burn.”

“
He will be here once Bach opens the threshold to the Hall of Ages,” his mother said calmly

“
Me? I cannot. We will need Wisteria for that, but I have lost her,” Bach admitted in pain.
We were robbed of our first blood.
The darkness growled angrily.

“
No, we have you,” Felip retorted.

“Bach, once in the Hall of Ages, I will find your Beloved in minutes.” She pulled him back

Just then, the floor beneath then rumbled and
Karvas, Maniko and another Dy’obeth broke through.

“
Lady Coia, why are they not frozen?” Malcolm gaped. “The Galahad talisman is supposed to guarantee they cannot move and will obey you.”

“
You will all die.” Karvas stepped toward Malcolm.

Bach struck
Karvas across the face and threw him across the room as he spotted Maniko approaching his mother.

Malcolm grabbed
Maniko’s face and threw her off the balcony. “Hurry, Bach,” he called impatiently as he watched Bach and Karvas fight. “I find this irritating. Open the threshold.”

High Father
broke through the ground.. “Your trinkets and toys can’t stop me? I am Anab, High Father of the Dy’obeths. I am the morning star and I shall do what I will.”

“
No, you will stop,” his mother commanded. “And obey me.”

“
I do not obey anyone,” High Father advanced. “Whatever magic you were playing with has failed you.”

Through the window Bach saw, the
Dy’obeths his mother had sent out racing back through the streets to the Palace. Some were even climbing up the side of the building to get to them.

“
Bach, open the threshold now,” his mother ordered backing away from her father. “I said stop.”

“
I swear I will enjoy this.” High Father reached for her.

Malcolm struck him in the face.

High Father staggered back. “You will pay for that.”

“
Why is the artifact not working?” Malcolm demanded. “They should obey you.”

His mother
examined the stone and shot Felip an angry stare. “What is this?”

“
Yes, about that. I kind of switched it.” Felip shrugged and revealed the real talisman tied around his wrist. “Okay everyone stop moving for a few minutes.”

They all froze.

He is right you should have killed him.
Bach then found he couldn’t move.

“You were controlling them the whole time?” his mother exclaimed.

“
The Dog?” High Father squinted.

“
No, I am a Dy’obeth,” Felip smirked as his eyes turned a deep yellow and his voice deepened. “Remember Coia is my ancestor too.”

“
Why?” Coia demanded.

“
Why would I give it to you or anyone? I love you great-great-great-grandmother or whatever, but I am not an idiot. This can give me a lot of—” Felip peered out the window at the Dy’obeths racing toward them. “Power.”

“
Qwaynide
, I never trusted you,” Bach glowered.

“
You were dumb not to have killed me when you had the chance.” Felip laughed.

Felip signaled to the Dy
’obeths. “Karvas rip Bach apart. I literally want to see clumps of his flesh and his bones in your hands.”

A threshold appeared
on the window and Wisteria emerged alone. “Hello, Felip.”

“
Perfect timing.” Felip gestured to Wisteria. “Come here to me.”

She glanced around the room.
“No.”

“
Or I will make Bach jump to his death.” Felip showed her the talisman. “This means I can make him do whatever I want. For example, Bach, bash your head against that wall.”

Bach felt his legs dragging his body to the wall.
He felt helpless to stop it. He thrust his head violently at the stone structure.

“
I could make you come here, but I want Bach to see you willingly submit to me.” Felip slipped his hands in his pockets. “After all, I am not a monster.”

“
You want me to submit to you.” She stepped forward, brandishing a short sword.

“
And drop the toy.” Felip pointed to it.

The building started to shake violently under her feet as massive cracks ran up and down the walls.

“This building’s foundation is going to give way and we’re all going to be crushed to death,” Wisteria warned. “Give me Galahad’s Talisman or you will die here Felip,”

“
We both know, you are not going to kill anyone Peeka.” Felip held out his hand to her.

The ground beneath Felip split into two.

“Give her what she wants before she kills us all,” Malcolm screamed.

“
Come and get it.” Felip dangled the amethyst out to her. “Because your bluff is meaningless.”

The Galahad
Talisman broke off his wrist and flew into Wisteria’s hand.

“
How did you do that?” Felip expressed.

Wisteria appeared as bewildered as he was.

“She can control the artifacts better than anyone else ever could.” Bach’s mother looked enraged. “Which is why I told you to take her back to Terra and leave her there until this was done.”

Bach dropped to the ground as Felip
’s hold broke.

“
All of you go to the main hall and line up on your hands and knees,” Wisteria commanded. “Wait—Coia and Felip you stay where you are, but away from the threshold.”

When
the others left, Bach didn’t feel compelled to move. The darkness urged him to act as if under her control.

Wisteria
walked over to Bach. “Are you hurt?”

“
You have come to gloat
?” Bach’s darkness seethed. “
Or to display your superior understanding of everything?”

“
No.” She stroked his hair. “You and your bloodline are too powerful to remain here.”

“
There is nothing you can do,” Bach replied.

“
I’m sending you, Felip, Malcolm and Coia into the Deep.” Wisteria kissed his forehead. “It’ll be better that way.”

“
You expect me to beg
?” The darkness hissed.

She placed h
er hand on his chest. “The darkness in you has grown since the last time we were together. You’ve killed and if I let you stay, you will kill many more.”

“
What right have you to judge us
?” Bach screamed. “Who gave you the authority?”

“
You did. When you became my Mosroc.” Backing away, she opened a black threshold on her right.

“
No, wait. Wisteria, please we can work something out?” Felip pleaded. “I can teach you how to control—”

“
Enough.” Wisteria waved at him. “No more lies.”

****

Not bearing to look at Bach, Wisteria watched the threshold grow. She didn’t want to trap anyone in the Deep least of all Bach, but there was so little of him left now. “If the Family decide they want to judge you, you’ll be released then.”

The Dy
’obeths around her yelled and swore in protest, but with the Galahad Talisman safety in her possession, she’d very little to fear from them.

“
Wisteria do not send me to the Deep,” Felip begged as a black threshold hovered over him. “Please at least give me a beacon, so you can find me if you change your mind.”

“
Sorry, Felip. I need to make sure I can sleep at night.” Closing her eyes, Wisteria couldn’t stand seeing the start of his torture.

“
Wisteria—” Felip’s screams echoed though the room as the blackness consumed him.

“
Felip,” Coia screamed. “What have you done, you stupid Matula? He was all that was left of John Walter. Even Bach cannot protect you now.”

O
pening her eyes, she noticed Bach was gone. How did he move if he’d been under the control of the Galahad Talisman? Turning back, she saw him standing behind her.