“Sloane, why do you have your family members restrained?” Michael asked warily.
“Funny, my friend,” Sloane looked at Tegan and then Cord. “Can you control it?” he asked. When they both started shouting over each other, he turned to the Principal and Elite Elder. “Can you help me contain them if I clear the room?” Marcus nodded but Salem was slower in agreeing. “Okay, everybody out,” Sloane commanded. When the room was clear of Sentinels, Sloane turned to Salem. “I think they’re mated.”
“I told you, you are mistaken,” Cord snapped, his ire barely contained. “I have had enough of this trickery.”
“Why are you glaring at me? I’m not tricking you,” Tegan’s step towards him was intercepted by her brother.
“But yet here you come, so desperate to be in contact with me?” Cord mocked.
“You are a son of a Drakhyn, Castor,” Tegan bit out. “The only way I want to be near you is to punch you.”
“Did you know?” Salem’s soft question broke the stare-off between the two. He looked at Marcus. “Lycans mate – or can mate – did you know?”
“No,” Marcus regarded both Tegan and Cord. “I haven’t heard of an Akrhyn mating since I was born.”
“We are not mated,” Tegan said through gritted teeth. “Castor, tell them you played another trick.”
“I don’t play tricks, Sentinel,” Cord snarled in reply. “Why don’t you tell them about the tricks you play?”
“You’re delusional,” Tegan snapped.
“You’re a liar,” Cord snapped back.
“How dare you?”
“And there you have it,” Sloane’s dry voice interrupted them. Both of them turned to see the others observing them and that yet again, they were within inches of each other. Tegan looked at the other four Akrhyn who were watching them, taking in their looks of horror and fascination.
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it,” Michael said to no one in particular.
“It’s fascinating,” Marcus nodded as he watched Tegan and Cord, subconsciously step into each other’s space. “Simply fascinating.”
“It’s appalling.” Everyone turned in surprise to the newcomer in the room. She was tall, willowy with long chestnut hair, which hung loose down her back. A soft green summer dress did little to cover her curves, her soft brown skin or the fact her feet were bare.
“Tove!” Tegan ran across the room and threw her arms around the slightly taller female. Tove lived at the Silver Lake House with Tegan, Martha and Leonid. She was like an older sister and mentor to Tegan. A Lycan, she claimed no pack, preferring the solitude and isolation. Leonid had offered her a place to live many years ago, after a particularly bad attack from Drakhyn left her almost dead. Tove had recovered well but in her time spent at Silver Lake, she had grown to care for the little lost daughter of Salem Holt. After discussing her growing relationship with Tegan, Leonid had granted Tove free roam of his home and his lands, letting her know she would always be welcome. In time, their home had become Tove’s.
Tove was a well-known Sentinel, bound to no House, her reputation as a formidable warrior was well known. She was often requested to attend the Great Council on their travels, offering protection and often participating in the Trials of hopeful Akryhn.
“Hello little one, I leave you for a few months and you go and get mated?”
“Tove, I didn’t!” Tegan pulled away from the embrace. “He did something, he is not a good male.” Tegan’s glare for Cord was formidable.
“You’re shameless,” Cord hissed.
“Look at how they drift together,” Marcus murmured to Sloane who was nodding emphatically. Marcus met Tove’s stare, “Sister.”
“Sister?” Tegan asked curiously.
“We are pack, all pack are considered brother or sister,” Tove answered without meeting Marcus’s gaze.
“Wow, that has to be awkward considering you two used to… you know…” Sloane’s comment drifted off as the group turned as one and stared at him.
“You’ve been well?” Tove asked Marcus, in an effort to change the attention from Sloane’s idle comments.
“I have, and you she-wolf?” His voice was gruff as he too, failed to make eye contact.
“Good,” Tove nodded to Tegan and Cord. “Again?”
Both of them looked at each other in surprise, realising they had migrated together and were now side by side. As both started to protest, Michael pulled his sister away.
“I’ll take Tegan to her room.”
“I’ll stay with Cord,” Sloane offered as he stood beside his brother.
“I don’t need babysitting,” Cord grumbled.
“I’m hungry,” Tegan said softly to Michael, hoping to avoid attention.
“Why haven’t you eaten?” Cord snapped at her.
“Because I was training!” Tegan answered in exasperation.
“You need to eat first, train later.”
“I did eat first, I had a light breakfast,” Tegan protested. “Now I need my proper breakfast.”
“In the name of Harrian, what are you, a hobbit?” Cord snapped as he pulled Tegan towards him.
“What are you doing?” Tegan hissed as he started walking her to the door.
“Getting you breakfast.”
“I feel like we should stop them before one of them kills the other,” Sloane said quietly to the Elite around him.
“It’s amazing to witness,” Marcus watched them in fascination. “I would love to study this in more detail.”
“You know, before they get to the room with the sharp utensils,” Sloane continued as he looked between the elders.
“They were in a room with actual weapons,” Michael reminded him.
Sloane looked after where Tegan and Cord were heading through the training room door still bickering. “Yeah, well, I think I better go after them before anything important is broken.” He scratched his head as he hurried after them, shouting to the others behind him, “Like an arm, or leg!”
“I’ll go too,” Tove glanced quickly at Marcus before she followed Sloane.
“Me too!” Michael hurried to catch up. “I can take notes,” he called over his shoulder to Marcus.
Salem and Marcus looked at each other in the sudden peace, before Salem broke the silence. “Remember just a few days ago, when our pasts hadn’t turned up to haunt us?”
“Good times,” Marcus muttered.
“Will you be okay?” Salem nodded towards the door. “She looks good.”
“She looks phenomenal.”
“So not okay then?” Salem slapped his hand on his friend’s back in commiseration. “You will research the books to find out what in the Ancients name is happening to my daughter?”
“Yes, try not to let this distract you.” Marcus laughed as Salem looked at him incredulously, “I know it’s hard, but you need to prepare for Cornelius’s arrival.”
“He’s going to be more than difficult.” Salem cursed savagely, “He can’t take her.”
“He won’t, Salem. She is stationed here by the Great Council,” Marcus reminded him.
“He can fight it,” Salem countered. “Especially if she is mated to his Heir.”
“We’ll deal with it if it happens. For now, let’s take one day at a time,” Marcus tossed his shaggy hair out of his eyes. “Arflyn knows we need to.”
Nodding in agreement, the two men left the training room, hurrying to each deal with recent developments.
In the dining hall, Tegan sat glaring at Cord who was pointedly ignoring her but irritating her nonetheless as he would turn and glare at her for no reason every now and then. Michael, Tove and Sloane watched them both warily.
“You need to eat more.”
“I have had my normal breakfast,” Tegan snapped.
“And I said you need more,” Cord growled.
“And I said, I have had enough.”
Before Cord could retort, Tove cut him off. “She is not malnourished, she eats hea
lthily.”
“She feels scrawny,” Cord turned away again, dismissing the Lycan.
“When did you feel her?” Michael demanded.
“Scrawny!” Tegan questioned indignantly at the same time.
“No, stop, we don’t need to do this again,” Sloane groaned as he dropped his head into his hands.
“You’re right, brother, I need away from this screeching harpy,” Cord stood suddenly, walking swiftly from the dining hall. He paused briefly when he felt the impact at his back, half turning he looked down at the bread roll on the floor, before slowly raising his head to level a glare at Tegan. Holding his stare, Tegan took a bite of another roll. Cord’s fists clenched and her glass of milk upended over her. Jumping back, she raised a furious glare to Cord but he was already gone, his laughter echoing in the hall.
“I hate him,” she bit out.
“Hmm, do you though?”
Tegan turned an unbelieving glare to Tove. “Yes!” she answered.
“We’ll see, little one,” Tove leaned back in her seat. “I can’t believe I am here again.”
“Again?” Michael asked curiously.
“It’s been a while, but this was once my home,” Tove smiled sadly as she looked around the hall. “Nothing has changed, not even the colour of the walls.” Shaking her head Tove stood. “Come, Tegan, you need to get out of those wet clothes, Martha will be here soon.”
As the two females walked away, Michael turned to Sloane. “How did you know?”
“About your sister and my brother?” Sloane asked. “Easy, they were at each other throats, ready to rip each other into pieces, they reminded me of my parents,” he shrugged. “You don’t achieve that level of contempt without years of marriage or being mates.”
“That’s a horrible thought.”
“Isn’t it?” Sloane agreed.
“Your father is going to be delighted.”
Sloane sighed loudly. “By the Ancients, he is going to be impossible.”
“Maybe Cord can convince him it isn’t true?”
“He’s stopped denying it, have you not noticed?” Sloane propped his chin in his hand.
“You think he knew?”
“No, I saw his face, his reaction was true.” Sloane sighed again, “But he isn’t protesting anymore, I think he agrees.”
“Tegan doesn’t,” Michael countered.
“No,” Sloane grinned as he agreed with that sentiment. “She definitely does not agree.”
“Could this week be any more interesting?” Michael murmured as he relaxed back in his chair. Just then the perimeter alarm went off, loud screeching sirens sounded throughout Headquarters, both males jumped to their feet running for the doors.
“You just had to go and say something, didn’t you?” Sloane glared at his friend as they came to an abrupt stop on the lawn and looked on in astonishment at the hoard of Drakhyn lined up around the perimeter fences of the Headquarter grounds.
“Are you fully armed?” Tove asked Tegan, both of them were standing on the lawn amongst many Sentinels as the Drakhyn swarmed against the fencing.
“I am,” Tegan nodded. An Elite Sentinel approached her and she stood to attention.
“You did not report to your ranked Elite.”
Tegan hadn’t been aware she was supposed to, no one had told her the routine yet. She blamed the fact that she was new here plus an eighteen-year-old female. The Sentinel looked vaguely familiar, as she stared at him, she realised he had been at her final Trial.
“Tegan is an Elite Sentinel, are you her ranked Sentinel?” Tove never took her eyes off the fence line. “Did you inform her of protocol?” Her eyes slowly left the swarm and regarded the Elite Sentinel steadily.
“I have not yet had a chance to talk with the Principal’s daughter,” the male answered.
“Then the only failing here is yours,” Tove turned her attention back to the fence. “Tegan and I will take the left side, we will need…” she paused as she looked around for more Elite Sentinel and then ran an eye over Tegan, “You ready?” she asked quietly, Tegan rolled her eyes as she pulled her sword from her back. “We’ll need four more.” The Sentinel went to protest but when Tove looked him dead in the eye and raised an eyebrow he quietened. Turning quickly on his heel he yelled out four names and pointed in their direction.
“Making friends everywhere,” Tegan muttered as she fastened her coat.
“These Akrhyn need to learn that they earn your respect as much as you earn theirs,” Tove took out two wicked looking curved knives. “May the Ancients bless your sword this day,” she murmured over their drawn weapons.
Four Elite approached them, “Jasper sent us,” one spoke. “You know what you’re doing she-wolf?” Tove bared her teeth at him in reply, his grin was wide as he returned it, baring his own incisors. “Follow my lead?” he asked them both. Tegan nodded while Tove snorted her derision.
“You’re not my ranked Sentinel, I am Tove Dalgaard.” Tove winked as the Elite Sentinel’s jaw dropped in shock. Laughing softly, she started over the manicured grass to the left side of the fencing.
The four followed and Tegan went to do so also when a hand pulled her back. Looking over her shoulder she saw Cord standing there, his hand on her elbow was firm, his gaze on the fence line. “Castor?”
Grey eyes looked at her with… concern? Slowly his hand withdrew from her. “Be careful, little tiger?”
“I know what I’m doing,” Tegan looked up at him, his hood was pulled low but she could still see within the depths. He was staring at her, and despite the hissing of the Drakyhn surrounding her, she found there was no urgency to move away from him.
“When you return, we can talk, I will find a way to break this,” Cord said softly. Disappointment flooded Tegan which confused her and angered her at the same time. Nodding abruptly, she stepped back from him and ran to catch the others.
“Glad you could pull yourself away,” Tove snorted as Tegan joined them.
“Quiet,” Tegan hissed as she saw the other Sentinels look at her and over their shoulders to where Cord still stood, his red robes bright in the morning sun. “I’ve never seen so many in the daylight.”
“I’ve never seen any in the daylight,” one of the Sentinels to the right said to her.
“None?” Tove asked with a quick glance to Tegan, her surprise evident.
“They’re not attacking,” Tegan watched them as the Drakhyn flung themselves against the fence. “They could easily have been over it by now, what are they waiting for?”
“You’re right, they aren’t attacking,” Tove frowned and looked quickly for Marcus.
“Who protects the rear?” Tegan snapped at one of the Sentinels.
“The Sentinels,” he answered quickly as he looked around in alarm, “but there are a large number of us here.”
Tegan took off running to the back of the property, she heard Tove cursing behind her and then her running footsteps.
“They’re drawing all our numbers to the front,” Tegan shouted as she ran. “The back is defenceless.” What was wrong with these Akrhyns? she thought as she ran. They left themselves open to attack at every turn. No wonder the Great Council had stationed her here.
Slowing her approach, Tegan rounded the back corner and her anger trebled at the Elite Sentinel in this House. She watched as the Drakhyn gathered here moved stealthily and with purpose as wire cutters were trying to be used to breach the fence. The defensive spells protecting the fence were reacting and causing difficulty though. The Drakhyn wore an assortment of normal clothing; jeans, pants, shirts, t-shirts – they looked like a normal bunch of men, but with three things in common, bald, gloved hands and sunglasses. Yet they didn’t necessarily draw attention.
As she stepped out of the shadows of the building, the Drakhyn stilled in their movements. “We are many,” one of them spoke calmly.
“You are dead,” Tegan replied just as calmly as she withdrew her sword with a confidence that seemed to register
with some of the Drakhyn at least.
“You will be mine I think,” the one that spoke smiled, showing his razor-sharp teeth. A burst of flame suddenly erupted in the face of the Drakhyn as Cord moved behind Tegan. He watched calmly as the Drakhyn stood waiting for the flames to die before it seemed to panic and tried to fight off the flames.
“It cannot die that way,” Tegan whispered to Cord, transfixed when the Drakhyn started to scream in pain.
“It can with my fire,” Cord assured her.
“The front?” Tegan enquired.
“I have set fires amongst them, they fight it more than they wish to fight us,” he looked at her quickly, “the fence holds.”
“Maybe more than one here would be of benefit?” Tegan suggested, she couldn’t resist her smile when she saw Cord’s wicked grin. He didn’t even need powder she realised, the magic answered him without aid of powders and potions.
“Impressed you, haven’t I?” Cord smirked down at her.
“Yes, I hate to admit it,” Tegan said quietly. She held her breath as she felt him step closer to her, pressing into her back.
“It’s your turn to impress me, little tiger,” Cord’s soft voice in her ear made her skin shiver again.
Unable to keep her uneasiness at his proximity at bay, Tegan burst forward towards the fence line. In a practiced move she jumped from the lawn to the fence and scaled it swiftly. She heard the cries of astonishment behind her, as she topped the fence line she looked once over her shoulder. Cord’s hood was thrown back, the surprise evident on his face. Tove appeared beside her, they clasped hands and with a grin, Tegan dropped into the horde of the Drakhyn below. Freeing her sword as she fell bringing it down in a wide arc, Tegan effectively cut into the Drakhyn as she landed. As she fought the Drakhyn, more fire burst into life around her, making it easier for Tegan and Tove to kill Drakhyn. Tegan heard the other Elite drop down into the mass of Drakhyn and knowing her back was covered by Sentinel and Cord, she pushed forward to eliminate the threat. As she forged through the creatures, she realised her Elite had formed an arrowhead and were slicing through the Drakhyn, Cord’s fire burning the fallen ones behind them. Her smile was wide as she fought her way through the throng.
Into Darkness: The Akrhyn Series (Book 1) Page 14
