“Enough!” The Drakhyn froze at the command, making Tegan eye them suspiciously. A taller than average Drakhyn walked through the parting crowd, the confident swagger and smirk as he stood in front of the Elite was a little unnerving. Tegan glanced quickly at her Elite and saw her own surprise mirrored on their faces.
“I am here for a request only,” it spoke again, its words clear and concise, his words formal.
“What request?” Tove demanded, raising her knives.
“Tove, daughter of Larcius, we come for the girl,” the Drakhyn moved its finger back and forth in mock admonishment.
If Tove was surprised that the Drakhyn knew her name, she didn’t show it. She glanced quickly at Tegan before giving the Drakhyn her full attention. “What girl?”
“She will give us many Drakhyn,” it replied. “It has been seen, therefore it is so.”
“Which girl?” Tegan asked stepping forward, ignoring the sharp intake of breath from Tove.
“You will know soon,” the Drakhyn replied. Tegan watched as the Drakhyn began to back away as one. “You have two weeks to give us the girl,” and then they were gone, dispersing into the trees as quickly as they had come.
“Follow them!” Tegan shouted and began her pursuit, she glanced over her shoulder several times to ensure her fellow Sentinels were following her, Salem’s words of the other night clear in her memory.
“The trees!” She heard the shout from behind her as she looked up, almost too late, as two Drakhyn dropped to the ground, their talons exposed as they slashed at her, barely missing her. Tegan fought them both, keeping her movements sharp and concise, the dense trees which had been a benefit to her when she arrived, now hindered her movement. As she dropped to the ground to avoid a long-armed strike, a clang of metal against the sharp talons was followed by a hoarse scream. A hand yanked her to her feet, and she had moments to register Cord was beside her.
“Stay close to me,” he instructed.
“You stay close to me,” Tegan replied grimly as she struck down a Drakhyn. “Burn them as they fall,” she instructed.
“What do you think I’ve been doing?” Cord growled beside her as they met blow for blow from the Drakhyn. Tegan ignored him as she pursued their enemy. “Tegan!” Cord shouted after her, but she wove through the trees, scanning the trees above for shadows. “Tegan, stop,” Cord’s hand on her arm pulled her back. “They have fled.”
“Are you sure?” Tegan took a step forward, again surveying the shadows.
“I sense only us this deep in the trees,” Cord replied as he sheathed his sword.
“Search again,” Tegan demanded as she looked at him.
Cord looked at her with suspicion, “Why?”
“You use no powders or premade potions, I want to see if it is a trick,” she admitted, her eyes narrowing on the Castor.
“I rarely use powders and potions, my ability is higher than most to Cast,” he started to walk back to Headquarters.
“I have not heard of a Castor who can Cast without them,” Tegan admitted as she fell into step beside him.
“How many of us have you met?” Cord asked, a soft smile playing on his lips.
“One or two,” Tegan admitted. “They both needed the powders.”
“What Cast were they?”
“Pure,” Tegan kept quiet as Cord snorted his contempt. “Do you believe it?” she asked him hesitantly after a few minutes of silence, refusing to make eye contact.
“Believe what?” Cord asked as he still assessed the trees.
“That we are mated?”
“I don’t disbelieve it, but I am not convinced we are,” he looked at her quickly. “You?”
“I don’t think so,” Tegan answered confidently, “I think we just don’t like each other.”
Cord barked out a laugh as they walked through the trees, he could make out Headquarters through the denseness now. “I think we like each other just fine,” his low voice had Tegan glancing at him, only to be caught by his stare. Her step faltered and Cord’s hand on her arm steadied her. He didn’t withdraw it but slid his hand up to her elbow and Tegan was grateful he couldn’t see the way her skin prickled at his touch. They proceeded the rest of the way, with his hand curled around her arm, holding her. It worried Tegan that she didn’t even feel uncomfortable. When they could see the fence clearly, Cord withdrew his hand and took a purposeful step away from her.
“We don’t want to add to the speculation,” he murmured.
“Of course,” Tegan replied just as quietly, her mind reeling at the disappointment she felt with the loss of his touch.
“I will find a way to break this, little tiger,” Cord glanced at her again and Tegan nodded in acknowledgement but kept her thoughts to herself, she didn’t even rise to his taunt of calling her little tiger.
“Where by the grace of Brindlelay have you been?” Sloane demanded as he hurried over to them. “Cornelius arrived about twenty minutes ago. He is in Salem’s study, waiting.”
“Waiting…” a sly smile slipped out as Cord turned to look at Tegan. “Well, we wouldn’t want to keep him waiting.”
“Don’t do it Cord,” Sloane groaned. It was too late, Cord pulled Tegan with him and they vanished. “I hate when he does that,” Sloane muttered as he walked slowly back to the office.
Tegan looked in surprise at her bedroom. Cord cast a quick glance around it, before he settled on a chair. “Why are we here?”
“I thought you may want to change your attire, you have Drakhyn on you.”
Tegan glanced down at herself, flushing as she took in the drying blood of the Drakhyn. “I only need a moment.” She grabbed a shirt from her closet and then disappeared into the bathroom. True to her word, she was out not a minute later.
“That it?” Cord asked, failing to hide the surprise in his voice.
“It was only the shirt, yes?” Tegan regarded herself again, twisting her body to get a better look.
“Yes,” Cord stood abruptly when he realised he was staring at her. “Come, let’s introduce you to the mad Cornelius.”
As they walked down the stairs, Tegan watched Cord from the corner of her eye. He was more than handsome, with his long hair styled to frame his face, bringing attention to his bone structure, his straight nose. She noticed that his bottom lip was slightly fuller than his top lip. An imperfection? No, it merely added to his looks.
“You’re staring again,” Cord murmured without looking at her.
“Not for the reasons you think,” Tegan muttered as she tried to hide her dismay at once again being caught.
“And what do I think, little tiger?” Cord smirked as he looked down at her.
“That I admire your form,” Tegan mumbled.
Cord chuckled softly at her obvious discomfort. “And you’re saying, what? You don’t?”
“I was wondering how you can Cast without aid.”
“Because I am just that good,” Cord mocked her as they walked along the hall. Tegan noticed the looks as they passed on their way as they walked, some were openly curious, more than some looked at them both with mistrust.
“You draw attention with your robes,” Tegan noted quietly.
Cord cast a condescending eye over the Akrhyn in the halls. “As I said, I’m just that good.” He glanced once more at Tegan. “You draw a fair amount of attention yourself.”
“It is to be expected, I am young and unknown to them.”
“Not for long though,” Cord said as they approached Salem’s study. “Cornelius will declare you to the world, whether you want it or not.”
“And if Salem refuses to allow it?” Tegan asked the Castor curiously.
“Cornelius hasn’t listened to Salem since I can remember, he won’t start now, especially where you are concerned.” Cord stopped outside the door, bending low he brought his mouth to Tegan’s ear. “Do not let him know we could be mates, give him nothing to hold over you,” he whispered.
Tegan drew back and looked at him, sl
ightly bewildered. “You fear him?”
“No,” Cord looked her over carefully, “but I don’t encourage him either.”
“I understand,” she replied carefully. “Father warned me of him and his eccentricities.”
Cord barked out a laugh, “His madness you mean.”
The door to the study opened, cutting off Cord’s laughter as he regarded the Akrhyn in the doorway.
“Father,” Cord inclined his head as he walked past him into the room, leaving Tegan in the hall.
Tegan looked at the man in front of her. He looked like Sloane, or Sloane looked like him she corrected herself quickly. He was of good height, broad shoulders, his middle looked soft, she reasoned he wasn’t an active Elder like Salem was. His blond hair was dull with threads of grey through it, his eyes blue were like his son’s but where Sloane was warm and welcoming, Tegan saw the hardness in his Cornelius’s eyes. He looked nothing like her or her mother, she realised.
“Elder,” Tegan dipped her head as a sign of respect as she greeted her uncle.
“You will call me Uncle,” Cornelius answered as he stepped aside to let her enter the room. On entry Tegan noticed that almost everyone was here. Would she ever come into this room and not have so many people waiting to meet her, analyse her, she wondered?
“Cornelius let her in before you start making demands of her,” a soft female voice came from the corner.
Tegan turned, not having seen the slight female who sat there, her hand clasping Sloane’s as she held her other hand out to Cord, who took it and bent as he kissed the back of it before letting go.
“This is my mother, Delilah,” Sloane explained to Tegan. His hand was tight on his mother’s as he smiled warmly at her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Tegan acknowledged the frail seeming Akrhyn, she received a cool smile in return.
“You took your time in getting her here,” Cornelius eyed his oldest son with scorn. “Couldn’t you magic your way here quicker?”
Tegan was surprised that Cord merely smiled indulgently at his father, considering the reaction he had given her last night when she referred to his Casting as magic. “I didn’t know you were so eager to see me, father.”
Cornelius’s eyes narrowed on his oldest son and as he opened his mouth to reply, Tegan cut him off. “It was my fault, I had Drakhyn blood on me and insisted I change before meeting you.” She didn’t look at Cord but sensed he would be smirking at her small lie.
Cornelius’s attention was on her again and she met his stare steadily. “You look exactly like your mother.” His voice didn’t soften, he stated it matter of factly, almost accusatory.
“Father told me the same,” Tegan acknowledged quietly.
“You call Salem father so quickly?” Cornelius scoffed with a look of contempt towards Salem, who had sat quietly behind his desk watching the interaction.
“Leonid,” Tegan corrected and almost wished she hadn’t when she saw the gleam of triumph in Cornelius’s eyes.
“You will leave with us today,” Cornelius stated as he sat, angling the chair to face her, putting his back to Michael, Sloane and his wife. “You should be with us, the Vampyre should have taken you to me at your birth.”
“No,” Tegan replied. “I am an Elite Sentinel and I have been stationed here by the Great Council.”
“I have made contact with the Great Council and lodged my request,” Cornelius waved his hand dismissively.
“And I am sure they will be swift in telling you I am stationed here,” Tegan did not look away from this man who was her blood. As she realised that she was in the room with all of her family, bar Zahra, she felt a little overwhelmed. A cool hand on her elbow centred her. She didn’t need to look to know it was Cord.
“You should sit,” he murmured to her as he drew a chair over to her.
Nodding in acceptance, Tegan sat and for the first time since entering the room, looked at Salem. “Regardless of my station here, I would wish to stay to learn more about you and Michael.”
Salem’s smile was warm as he regarded her. “You will stay here, I have also petitioned the Great Council on your behalf,” he informed her before regarding Cornelius. “The Great Council stationed Tegan here, knowing full well who she was and who her parents were, they will not approve your request.”
“We’ll see. I am sure they will consider my proposal,” Cornelius glared at Salem. “After all, why would they let her stay with the male that got my sister killed after ruining her?”
“Husband,” Delilah’s soft voice drew Cornelius’s attention. “Let’s not squabble over old times, we come here to meet Tegan and to tell her of the ball.”
“Ball?” Tegan’s alarmed look at Delilah had Sloane covering his smile.
“Yes dear, we thought the best way to introduce you to the Houses was for a ball to be held.” The slight blonde woman looked almost dreamy with anticipation. “It will be held in your honour, and we can see if there are any potential matches for you.”
“Matches?” Tegan threw a worried look to Salem. “I am not here to be matched, I am an Elite Sentinel, my duty is to defend this territory from Drakhyn.”
Delilah looked uncomfortable as she adjusted in her seat. “Surely you don’t want to actually patrol when you could be matched to a worthy Akrhyn?”
“Mother,” Sloane tugged at her hand to get her attention. “Tegan is an Elite Sentinel, the Great Council themselves oversaw her Trials, she is not here to be matched. Besides she is a worthy Akrhyn.”
“But she is eighteen,” Delilah looked at Tegan and frowned. “We need her to be betrothed, else who will want her?”
Tegan flinched at the woman’s words, the old traditional customs of Akrhyn were dying off, but the main Houses still adhered to them, albeit Tegan was not betrothed and had no intention of being so. However, she couldn’t stop from glancing quickly at Cord, whose expression remained impassive, before turning to Salem. “I am not here to be betrothed.”
“No, you are not.” Salem agreed. “Delilah, not everyone needs to be matched. Tegan has been secluded most of her life, she does not need a debut into the Akrhyn way of life.”
“She will attend the ball, you all will,” Cornelius directed. “My sister was shunned before she died, because of her involvement with you,” his sneer when he spoke to Salem was filled with loathing. “Akrhyn had already turned their backs on her, so when we learned she was pregnant with your child, my father was filled with rage and forbade any of us to talk to her.” Cornelius glared at Salem, the heat in his words rising. “Because of you, I did not speak to my sister again, because of you my sister died with shame and my House had a black mark against it.” Cornelius stood as he swept his gaze around the room, “You will all attend the ball, even that disgrace of a daughter you have, and we will show a united front to those that dared to question my sister when she was alive. My only pity is that her daughter will be treated the same way her mother was in the end, because of you.” Cornelius strode angrily from the room, Delilah hurrying after him, when the door was closed behind them the room was silent.
“Well, I think that went better than expected,” Cord commented as he took his father’s seat. “I mean, he didn’t kill anyone or kidnap Tegan.”
“Yet,” Sloane muttered.
“True, there is still time,” Cord mused. “Did he say how long he was staying?” he asked his brother.
“Too long,” was Sloane’s reply.
“Pity,” Cord murmured as Sloane nodded in agreement.
“Do I have to attend a ball?” Tegan blurted as she looked around the room, hoping for the answer to be no.
“What Cornelius says makes sense,” Marcus’s soft words were to Salem. “It would be better if we could present joint Houses in welcoming Tegan to the Akrhyn way of life.”
“I haven’t been hiding under a rock,” Tegan exclaimed. “I know the Akrhyn way of life. Father and I just chose not to be in it.”
“I don’t think you shou
ld say that at the ball,” Michael advised. “Cornelius was right in one thing, you will be judged by your peers and if you tell them that you actively avoided knowing them, you may be shunned like your mother was.”
“I’m sorry, Tegan,” Salem ran a weary hand over his face, “I failed your mother and I have failed you.”
“The past is the past,” Cord said as he stood. “Focus on the future and what you need to do in order to prepare her for her debut to the Akrhyn society.” He turned to look at Tegan, he started to say something and then turned away, walking out of the study.
“And the issue with him?” Michael asked the room.
“There is no issue,” Tegan said quickly. “We do not believe it to be true, but he is going to work on it, just in case.”
Sloane snorted as he stretched his legs out in front of him. “Trust me, it’s true. Even in here with our father, who Cord hates to be in the same room as, he was at your side, supporting you.”
“Well then, Cord will find a way to break it.” Tegan shrugged, “he wants this no more than I do.”
“You believe him?” Sloane asked, he knew he was voicing the room’s concern.
“He has reason to lie?” Tegan asked curiously. “He told me not to mention anything to your father, though I was tempted when they started discussing my betrothal.”
“He advised you correctly,” Salem ran his hand through his hair, “the less Cornelius knows the better.”
“You will need to attend the ball though,” Michael grinned at his sister. She shot him a disbelieving look and his grin widened.
“I could be on patrol that night,” Tegan suggested. “I should go talk to the Commander now,” she edged towards the door.
“Or… you could start looking for dresses.”
Tegan glared at Sloane. “You seem to be enjoying this too much,” she grumbled, ignoring the rest of the room’s smiles.
Into Darkness: The Akrhyn Series (Book 1) Page 15
