Into Darkness: The Akrhyn Series (Book 1)

by Eve L Mitchell

  “Principal, I have what you wanted,” Cord’s voice was tinged with laughter. He’s insane, Tegan thought. “Marcus if you could do the honours?”

  Marcus stepped forward as the Drakhyn continued to struggle in Cord’s hold, it was almost shoulder level with Cord and he was careful to keep out of reach of the Drakhyn’s jaws. Marcus looked at the Drakhyn with distaste before he bit into its shoulder. The scream of pain was chilling in the quiet night, as the Lycans saliva worked into the Drakhyn’s bloodstream – it was widely known that a Lycan bite was immobilising to the Drakhyn. The Drakhyn slumped in Cord’s hold, the paralysis finally taking full effect, Cord dropped the creature to the ground as he stepped away from it.

  Tegan’s fist shot out and connected squarely with his jaw and she had the brief satisfaction of seeing that he stumbled, she ignored the surprised gasp from the onlookers. Cord recovered from the unexpected blow, rubbing his jaw he glared at Tegan.

  “What in Harrian’s fury was that for?”

  “You could have gotten us killed,” Tegan hissed. “What was that? Why don’t you tell me what in Velvore’s name, was that stunt you just pulled in the woods?”

  “You wanted to hunt and catch a Drakhyn,” Cord shrugged, “we hunted and caught a Drakhyn.”

  “You’re a fool.” Tegan’s fury mounted as she looked at the Castor. “We hunt together, we watch each other’s back, together. We will only survive this fight if we respect who and what we have been taught and trained. You are reckless and dangerous, you don’t deserve to have passed your Trials, you are a rash, arrogant, conceited risk Castor, not only to this community but to yourself.” She stood back, her hands clenched at her sides in rage, her breathing short with temper.

  “Reckless? You’re just as reckless as me, little tiger, you went with me – more than willingly,” Cord sneered at her.

  “I went to scout for Drakhyn, I didn’t set out to humiliate my peers!” Tegan cried out at him. “It was a scouting party,” shaking her head she looked at him, standing so proud, so conceited, “I am nothing like you.”

  Cord rolled his eyes and crossed his arms as he looked at the Drakhyn at his feet in contempt. “Are we moving this thing into the dungeon or would you like me to take it back outside the gates?”

  His sarcasm snapped a stupefied Salem into action. “Elite, take it. Marcus detain him, Tegan… you come with me.”

  Marcus was on Cord before Tegan realised the Lycan had been prepared for the order. Cord didn’t struggle as she watched Marcus bind his hands behind him, she wondered why he didn’t portal out of the Lycans hold. Cord’s cold furious glare towards her made her look away, the intensity of it was too overwhelming, the guilt she felt at him being bound, too confusing.

  “I’ll keep him to my quarters,” Marcus muttered to Salem as he passed with Cord bound in front of him, a heavy stare of disappointment for Tegan as he passed.

  “Come, Sentinel,” Salem ordered as he walked into Headquarters after the others. They passed Michael and Sloane on their way in, Sloane’s eyes were wide at the sight of his brother bound in front of Marcus. Michael’s concern for Tegan was evident and she once again found herself unable to return a questioning look because of her guilt.

  Salem and Tegan walked in silence until they arrived at his study, he held the door open for her and she walked inside. She did not sit and he did not ask her to. Salem sat behind his desk and waited for a short knock on the door before it opened, and Bryce the Elite Guard Commander, walked in. He didn’t sit either but stood opposite Tegan, disapproval apparent on his face.

  “Sentinel Tegan, you will explain to me and your commanding officer exactly what you were thinking this evening when you disregarded a direct order and left the grounds,” Salem’s stare was hard as he looked at her.

  “I was patrolling with Sentinel Jasper; the Castor came out to tell Sentinel Jasper that he had been selected for the raiding party in Prince George tomorrow. The Castor also informed me that the raiding party was to be male Akrhyn only,” Tegan kept her stare straight ahead, forcing her voice to be controlled. “The Castor asked me to join him in a search in the woods. I know there are Drakhyn out there, I can feel them watching us, so I went.”

  “You were ordered to remain in the grounds and patrol the perimeter,” Bryce said.

  “I was,” Tegan agreed.

  “So, you know what your obligations to the Guard are and what your orders were?” Bryce pressed.

  “I do,” Tegan kept staring straight ahead.

  “And the Castor, he did nothing other than ask you to join him?” Bryce asked, Tegan flicked her eyes to her commander before looking straight ahead again.

  “He did not,” she hesitated.

  “What is it?” Salem asked.

  “He doesn’t use powders or potions, he can Cast with no aids,” Tegan blurted out. “Everyone tells me he can’t, but he can, he produced a fireball tonight with hardly a thought,” she took a shaky breath. “He can Cast, and I feel it. I went with him because he was going no matter what I said,” Tegan’s stare dropped to her feet.

  “You went to protect him?” Salem asked sceptically.

  “Sort of,” she hesitated, “and because I wanted into the woods, I wanted to patrol properly,” Tegan admitted.

  “Your honesty may be your downfall,” Bryce grunted.

  “And how did you catch the Drakhyn?” Salem asked.

  “I didn’t, Cord did,” Tegan’s frown showed her displeasure.

  “Did you intend to catch one?” Bryce asked.

  “No,” she sighed. “I merely wanted to patrol, gauge how many were out there and report back.”

  “How did he do it?” Bryce asked.

  “He sent a blinding white power-ball into the clearing,” Tegan answered bitterly. “I couldn’t see and when I could, he had it in his hold.”

  “You didn’t see the capture?” Salem asked as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk.

  “No, I couldn’t see anything for a few moments. I am sure that’s how he got the creature, it would have been more blinded than I was.”

  “And did he use any potions or powders?”

  “No, he simply made it.” Tegan replied, frustration edging her tone.

  “And you say you can feel this?” Salem enquired.

  “Yes.”

  “Every time?” he pressed.

  “Whenever I am near him, yes.”

  Salem looked at Bryce and Bryce shrugged. “It could be their mate bond?” Bryce suggested.

  “We are not bonded,” Tegan snapped.

  “I think you may have to accept that you are,” Salem rested back in his chair. “But that’s a discussion for another day. Right now, you are in breach of direct orders from your superior, you put yourself, a visitor to this House and my Headquarters in peril. I shall leave it for your commander to discipline you.”

  Tegan nodded and glanced quickly at Commander Bryce; he was looking at her thoughtfully. “The Great Council told me that you were exceptional, that your fighting skills and your strategising were second to none,” Bryce stood as he watched the young Sentinel stand proudly before him. “I think they may have told you and your father the same thing, and I think that’s the problem.” A quick glance at him from Tegan but she said nothing. “You are arrogant. You think you are better than your peers and that you know better than your superiors, you do not.” Bryce’s harsh words were loud in the quiet of the room. “I know there are Drakhyn out there, I know they are watching. Keeping a small patrol on the perimeter while we organised an ambush inside Headquarters was purposeful.”

  Tegan felt her shoulders slump.

  “No female Akrhyn were going on the mission because I am not a fool. I do not know what I would be leading my team into and given the threat, I most certainly was not taking any females on a raid when I wasn’t sure what would be waiting for me.” Bryce exhaled heavily. “I was not discriminating against the females in my team, I was protecting them. My fema
le Sentinels are some of the best warriors that we have, not one of them complained. Yes, they would like to be there, but they would prefer not to be breeding cattle for Drakhyn also,” he watched as Tegan fought to keep her stare steady. “If these were normal circumstances, I would have no issue sending an all female Sentinel patrol to raid a nest, but these are not normal circumstances. The assumption that this will be a normal nest, cannot be made. You saw the way the Drakhyn presented themselves, organised, disciplined, united… I’ve never seen anything like it,” Bryce admitted. “So, no. I was not giving the order that females should be on this mission.”

  “You were protecting them,” Tegan said softly.

  “It is my job as commander to ensure the safety of all my Sentinels and this Headquarters, I was protecting them and you.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realise,” Tegan looked at him quickly, before turning away from his frown.

  “I do not need to explain myself to you, Sentinel Tegan, I am your commander.”

  “Sir,” Tegan nodded.

  “You will be assigned to the surveillance room for one month, you will attend lessons in basic Sentinel training to remind you of the chain of command. You will train an additional three hours each day with the younger Akrhyn to remind you there are others who depend on you and your actions.”

  “I am not to patrol?” Tegan asked quietly.

  “No, you cannot be trusted.” Bryce’s voice was cold as he replied. Hot shame flooded Tegan, her cheeks burning with humiliation. “I will alert the Great Council of your disciplinary action.”

  Tegan stood still as Bryce resumed his seat. “You are dismissed, Sentinel Tegan.”

  With a quick glance to Salem, who had remained silent throughout, Tegan turned and left the study. As she walked quickly back to her room, she prayed to the Ancients that no one would see her and if they did, they would leave her in peace. How had she been so reckless? She was a Sentinel now, a member of the Elite Guard, she didn’t need to be taught discipline. Her father had trained her so well that he used to say she was the personification of discipline. Now? Now she was being reprimanded and rightly so, for being thoughtless and careless. Her? Careless? Her father would be so disappointed in her.

  Once inside her room, Tegan quickly crossed the room to close and lock the adjoining room door – she wouldn’t know what to say to Sloane and didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes either. Lying down on her bed, Tegan closed her eyes, finally releasing the emotion she had been holding so tight inside. As the tears slipped out and ran down the side of her face into her hair, Tegan prayed to the Ancients that she could do better.

  “What were you thinking?” Marcus demanded as he stood and glared at Cord.

  “You needed a Drakhyn, I got a Drakhyn, no one was harmed.”

  “She’ll be disciplined, is that what you wanted?” Marcus looked at the Castor who shrugged dismissively.

  “She’ll be fine, she’s an Elite Guard Sentinel, she’s tough enough to endure whatever Commander Bryce throws at her,” Cord sat down on the small couch in the room.

  “You amaze me.”

  “Thank you,” Cord dipped his head.

  “I wasn’t being complimentary,” Marcus snapped. “Talk me through your thought process.”

  “In general?” Cord asked.

  “Stop being a son of a Drakhyn!” Marcus snapped. “Tonight. What were you thinking tonight?”

  “This bores me now,” Cord sighed. “Tomorrow we were to go for a nest hunt on the hope we can question a Drakhyn. Sentinel Tegan said she knew they were out there in the woods, watching us. She’s been claimed to be exceptional, extraordinary,” he shrugged, “so I decided to test it.”

  “You didn’t know if there were Drakhyn in the woods?” Marcus asked sceptically.

  “I suspected,” Cord admitted.

  “And knowing that they are looking for a female, you took a female Akrhyn into the woods,” Marcus could barely contain his temper. “She is right, you are arrogant.”

  “I am, but I got the job done. You wanted a Drakhyn to interrogate, I got you a Drakhyn to interrogate. She wanted into the woods, convinced there were Drakhyn, I got her into the woods, and she found Drakhyn.” Cord rolled his head on his shoulders. “I don’t really see the problem.”

  “You don’t see the problem?” Marcus repeated incredulously.

  “What?” Cord looked at the Lycan with an arched eyebrow.

  “You disregarded all orders, you endangered your partner, you endangered yourself,” Marcus chastised him. “You haven’t thought of the consequences of your actions.”

  “I am very conscious that the Drakhyn slumbers down in the dungeon, whilst we are here having a pointless discussion about nothing.”

  “Let me ask you, Castor,” Marcus watched him carefully. “Do you think that she is bonded to you?”

  “Yes,” Cord admitted through gritted teeth.

  “That bothers you?”

  “Yes,” Cord scowled at the Lycan.

  “Why?” Marcus asked. “Because you will be bound to another?”

  “I do not need her,” Cord growled.

  “But you want her?” Marcus asked softly.

  “Yes.”

  “Then why would you put her in danger?”

  “She wasn’t in any danger – I was with her,” Cord answered flippantly.

  “Your arrogance will let you down one day,” Marcus warned just as the room door opened and Salem walked in. “Everything okay?”

  “Commander Bryce has disciplined Sentinel Tegan,” Salem said as he came further into the room and stood in front of Cord. “I will contact your Cast and let them know what you have done.”

  “My Cast won’t care,” Cord snorted disdainfully.

  “Probably not. But the Great Council will, and I need to inform them also when I inform your Cast.”

  Cord laughed as he stood. “Do as you will, Principal,” he gave a mocking bow. “Come, it is time to question the Drakhyn.”

  “You will not be in the room, I have put a request in and Castor Jameis will be here shortly,” Salem informed them both.

  “Jameis?” Cord’s scorn was palpable.

  “The Pure Castor makes his way here as we speak,” Salem smiled tightly. “You are free to go.”

  “I am free to go?” Cord laughed softly. “Tell the little tiger I will see her soon.” Cord vanished.

  “Tegan okay?” Marcus asked softly.

  “No, but she will be,” Salem rubbed his face. “He doesn’t pretend in front of her, he doesn’t conceal he can Cast with no aid.”

  “No,” Marcus agreed.

  “This is dangerous,” Salem said grimly, “they are dangerous together.”

  “Then we keep them apart?” Marcus suggested.

  “Then we keep them apart,” Salem agreed.

  “Come, Principal, let us go interrogate a Drakhyn.” Marcus clasped his friend’s shoulder as he walked past him to the door.

  “Well that’s a sentence I never thought I would hear,” Salem muttered as he followed the Lycan out of the room.

  Cord paced his room, frustration building within him. It was him that captured the Drakhyn and he had been dismissed from the Headquarters like he had done nothing. It was unacceptable. Just because he had Tegan with him… his fists clenched at the thought they would think he would let harm come to her. Cord let out a rueful huff, like Tegan would allow anything to harm her. He did not need to protect her, he was very aware that the female Akrhyn could look after herself, she was fearless, and he did not doubt her ability. He had almost said as much to Salem, but he would not let them speculate it was this stupid bond that was clouding his judgement.

  The bond. What was he going to do about it? He had gone to collect the skin cells, his magic easily detectable by her as he Cast the spell over her arm. He remembered her inquisitive deep blue eyes, almost indigo in colour he mused, staring up at him as he ran his finger over the soft skin of her arm. Seeing past h
is defences, past his easy mockery that he used so effortlessly. The skin cells had been useless, he had tested them with his and before his eyes they had simply merged and stayed that way, nothing he could do was able to force them apart. Cord was not ready to accept that he could not break this spell, a bond was a spell – nothing less. It had been Cast on them unwittingly, without consent, and he was not going to be party to any spell on his person that did not have his consent. No, I will break it, Cord thought to himself determinedly, I will break it and she would thank him.

  A knock on his door snapped his attention to the Akrhyn outside, sensing it was Prime Castor Garrick. Cord suppressed his frown. Salem had told him he would report to his Prime – he just hadn’t been expecting him to. Salem was usually one of the better ones.

  “Enter,” Cord snapped when the knock came again.

  The door swung open and the Crimson Cast Prime entered the room, his cold stare for his Castor affected Cord not at all. “Principal Holt contacted me,” the Prime started, “he is not happy with you, Castor Ivanov.”

  Cord glanced at his Prime, he was older than most Elders, his hair more white than brown now, a small trimmed beard hid his weak jaw and thin lips. A crooked nose hinted at a not so perfect past, his beady eyes missed nothing and always seemed to be judging who was in front of him. Cord was used to being judged, he lived in Cornelius’s house after all.

  “Salem is rarely happy with me, Garrick, although he usually keeps his complaints to himself,” Cord crossed his arms as the Prime of the Cast regarded him unfalteringly.

  “You have been reckless again.”

  “I am rarely reckless,” Cord scoffed.

  “Yet you put the Principal’s daughter in danger?”

  “That female needs no help from me to put her in danger,” Cord’s easy reply made the Prime narrow his eyes. “You haven’t met her, Garrick, she attracts Drakhyn like a magnet.”

  “You took her out of the grounds as bait?” Garrick asked him.

  “Well, not exactly. Tegan was sure there were Drakhyn out there, I merely went with her to see if she was correct.”