by S. E. Smith
“Yes,” she whispered. “Barely. He is very weak. The wound does not close all the way. We are waiting to see if a new device the Curizans have developed will heal him. If he dies, so do I.”
Raffvin paused as he heard the trembling in her voice. He tilted his head. A cruel smile curved his lips as he thought for several moments. He leaned forward, rubbing his nose against her jaw.
“I could give you what you need to save him – for a price,” he hissed in her ear.
Morian would have pulled back if not for the tight hold on her neck. “How?” She begged in a strangled whispered. “How can you save him? What would you want in return?”
Raffvin pulled back and wrapped his other arm around her waist. “I can remove the blackness that keeps the wound open. Although, I suspect you already know how to remove it. You removed it from your wrists when I had you before. How did you escape from the camp, Morian?” He demanded pulling her against his body. “Tell me how you escaped the bands and the camp.”
Morian started to struggle, her eyes moving to the tall tree where Paul stood perched. She knew he would come to her in a heartbeat but she also knew he wouldn’t be able to reach her before Raffvin killed her. She could feel the sharp claws through the thin material of her gown. He could sever her spine, pierce her heart, or slit her throat. These were all wounds that would be impossible to repair in time to save her life.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “I am the Priestess of the Hive,” she replied. “Even the black symbiot cannot deny a request if presented correctly. It was hurting. I was able to draw the essence hurting it into myself,” she lied.
“How did you escape?” He asked harshly as he cursed his lack of planning for her power over the symbiot.
“I…. I used my symbiot,” she said thinking quickly. “I called it to me. I had it shift into the form of a dragon. It carried me through your camp. You know a symbiot has the ability to reflect its environment. I had it do that. I was too weak to make it on my own.”
Morian hoped she had not given too much information. She tried to stick as close to the truth so Raffvin wouldn’t smell the lies. She knew he was confused about her remarks about being able to draw the dark essence from his symbiot.
“Please,” she said in a quaking voice. “You promised you would help me save my mate. What price do you demand?”
Raffvin pulled her back into the shadows as Creon came out onto the top of the terrace. “Wave to him as if nothing is wrong?” He hissed letting his claws cut through the back of her gown.
Morian smiled and raised her hand to Creon who nodded and disappeared back inside the palace. “He’s gone,” she whispered.
“Take me to the Hive,” Raffvin demanded.
Morian drew in a sharp breath. “You know….” She stopped with a small cry as his claws pierced the skin of her back. “Will you promise to leave my family alone if I take you?”
Raffvin chuckled. “Of course,” he said.
“Swear!” She demanded, turning to look at him. “Swear you will not harm any of my family and I will take you. I cannot stand living knowing they are in danger any longer. Even if I die, I need to know you will spare my sons and their mates or I will not help you.”
Raffvin grinned. “You always did have fire in your blood,” he replied through narrowed eyes. “I will spare your bastards, even that male you think is your true mate, but you will be mine. That is the price.”
Morian drew in an unsteady breath before she reluctantly nodded. “Very well. For your promise that my family will be safe, I will take you to the Hive and….” Her voice faded as she stared into his black eyes. “…. And become yours.”
“Then let us not wait,” Raffvin said, grabbing Morian around her waist and throwing both of them over the side of the small wall. Morian’s scream was cut off as Raffvin shifted into his dragon as they fell.
Raffvin made his second mistake of the evening. His first was believing that Morian would ever belong to him. His second was not looking behind him. If he had, he would have seen Creon and Trelon step out onto the terrace just feet from where he and Morian had been standing. Raffvin would never have seen the golden dragon that was flying right above him. No one saw it, not even his mate.
Chapter 19
Paul followed closely behind and slightly above Raffvin. He had fought a major battle with his dragon back on the terrace. It had taken everything in him not to attack Raffvin when he had grabbed Morian. Her cry of pain was what held him back. He would not take a chance of her being mortally wounded. He needed to be patient, let Raffvin drop his guard when he thought he had won. The man’s ego would be his downfall.
Paul watched as Raffvin’s dragon swerved to the east. Raffvin was heading away from the cliffs out over the ocean. Paul hadn’t flown out this far before. After almost an hour of flying, a series of rocky columns rose up out of the ocean from a small island that stood like a lighthouse against the vast waters surrounding it. A misty haze rose up around the lower part of the island, obscuring it from view.
As they drew closer, the winds picked up. Paul’s breath drew in as Raffvin fought against the fierce jet stream cutting through the towers. Raffvin suddenly plummeted down closer to the waves breaking against the rocks before disappearing into the heavy mists. Paul dropped down to follow him. He swerved as a large wave rose up barely missing it as it crashed against the smaller rocks rising out of the sea floor as a natural barrier. He turned and slid between two of the boulders with only inches to spare. Once on the other side of the barrier, the waters and wind calmed as it opened into a small cove.
Paul pulled up and circled around as Raffvin dropped Morian onto a narrow sandy section of the beach. He looked for a safe place to land so as to not give away the fact he was there. He settled for a spot further along the rocky shore. The beach area had only spotty sections of sandy areas. He couldn’t use those as his footprints would show. He needed to chose a rocky section but he would have to be careful to not make any noise. He cursed as he realized that he wouldn’t be able to remain in his dragon form once he was down. His eyes skimmed the area as he circled one more time. His eyes narrowed as the symbiot on him pointed him to a narrow open shaft in the rocks. It showed him a way to the Hive but it would mean he would have to go up and then down the narrow opening. The warmth of the symbiot assured him it would do what it could to help him.
Thank you, my friend, Paul responded. You know, now would be a good time to name you. What do you think? What name would you like?
The symbiot shook with joy at the thought of having a name like the other symbiots it played with. Different images flashed through it before it settled on one. It sent the picture to Paul, a shiver of excitement coursing through it.
Paul chuckled silently even as he shifted into his two-legged form at the last minute just inches from the rocky terrain and the hard surface of one of the towers. His hands reached out to stop his forward momentum before he turned to fold his larger frame into the shadows of an indentation in the rock. He leaned back as the symbiot shifted into a long golden rope leading upward to the opening it had pointed out just minutes earlier.
Crash it is, Paul thought with approval. I think that is a wonderful name. Let’s go save the Hive, rescue the not-so-damsel in distress and kill the bastard who thinks his shit doesn’t stink.
Crash’s shiver of delight ran through him as it responded. Paul wondered how Morian was going to feel about him naming her symbiot and then rolled his eyes. She would probably think he was as crazy as the girls. He would have to remember to explain it was a human custom. He grabbed the golden length of rope and began climbing.
The rock was smooth for the first twenty feet before it became pitted from wind and erosion. He was able to use hand and foot holds when he reached that section to work his way upward. He looked up and estimated he had another ten feet or so before he reached the darkened shaft. The muscles in his forearms bulged as he pulled himself up the last few feet. He gripped the edg
e, lifting his upper body onto the small ledge before swinging his leg over. His dragon came forward enough so he could see down into the darkened interior. The walls on the inside were smooth as glass.
I’m going to need your help with this one, pal, Paul asked brushing his fingers across the gold that was still attached to his wrists.
Crash immediately formed a long, thick rope of gold. Paul swung his other leg over the side and grabbed the rope. He slid down it, jumping the last few feet to the hard smooth surface. Crash flowed down shifting into a small dog. The symbiot would meet up with the other half of itself in the Hive chamber. Crash looked up at Paul as he knelt down next to it and ran his hand over its golden head in appreciation.
“Let’s end this,” he whispered.
Crash sneezed and shook its body before taking off through the winding tunnel at a fast clip. Paul shifted enough so he could follow without having to worry about knocking himself out on any of the low hanging rocks. The cut of the tunnel reminded Paul of some of the lava tubes back home. It was wide and rounded, with smooth walls and flooring. The ceiling was pitted and jagged at times as though the heat had broken down parts of it. He could also see bits and pieces of seaweed and shells that gave the impression the tube had flooded in the past. He hoped the flooding wasn’t dependent on the tides.
He was about to ask Crash when they rounded a narrow corner. Paul slowed as he saw a golden glow coming from the end of the narrow tube. He walked to the end and just stood in stunned awe at the huge cavern below him. His eyes moved slowly as he tried to take in the magnificent view of the Hive.
He swallowed as the figures inside turned to look at him. He hesitated for just a brief moment as golden steps formed from the entrance of the tunnel he was standing in and lead down to the main cavern twenty feet below. A shiver passed through him as he took the first step. He wondered how in the hell you were supposed to address a deity because one thing was for sure…. he was in the presence of the Gods.
*.*.*
Morian stumbled and fell to her hands and knees in the soft sand as Raffvin’s dragon released her to land next to her. Her hair fell forward around her face. It had been pulled free from the chignon she wore by the fierce winds that had buffeted them as they approached the island. She cried out in pain as Raffvin reached down and grabbed her by the arm, jerking her roughly up to stand next to him. She wiped her free hand on her gown, brushing off the sand stuck to her palm, before she pushed the heavy strands of black hair back from her face. The winds were calmer here but there was still enough to blow her hair back into her eyes.
“Where is it?” He asked impatiently, shaking her.
Morian jerked her arm out of his grasp and took a step back almost falling again in the soft sand as she stumbled. “Remember your promise,” she hissed back, glaring at him angrily. “I am holding you to it.”
Raffvin laughed at her defiant expression. “So much fire wasted on my brother. Jalo never knew what he had,” he said cruelly. “I asked him to share you but he refused - the fool. I could have stoked that fire to a blaze that would have scorched the three of us.”
“Go to hell. That is not a good place, by the way,” Morian spit out, her dark gold eyes flashing with rage. “Jalo was twice the warrior you could ever be. He knew how to lead our people and he knew how to love. That is three things you will never be able to do.”
Raffvin grabbed Morian by the back of her neck and tugged her forward. His eyes burning with rage as he glared down at her. His eyes dropped to her lips before he crushed his mouth down on them, savagely kissing her. Morian struggled against the hold on her, trying to twist her head away from the horrid taste of him. He ground his lips against hers trying to force her to open her mouth to his possession. Instead, she opened just far enough to clamp down on his lower lip with her small sharp teeth, drawing blood.
Raffvin jerked back. He raised his hand to strike her but instead laughed darkly when she flinched. He touched his bleeding lip before drawing his fingers away to study it for a moment. A heated smile curved his lips as he ran his bloody fingers down along her cheek as she turned her head away from him.
“Yes, so much fire,” he murmured thoughtfully. “I look forward to keeping it burning. When I spread you out beneath me and bury my shaft all the way to your womb, it will be my name you scream.”
Morian turned to look at him in disgust. “Never,” she vowed.
Raffvin looked at her with disdain. “Oh, I promise you’ll scream my name,” he said mockingly. “I didn’t say you would be screaming it in pleasure. Just that you would be screaming it,” he added with a harsh laugh before turning her toward the narrow opening cut in one of the tall columns. “Now, lead me to the Hive,” he demanded pushing her in front of him.
Morian ran her hands over the long skirt of her gown. She could feel the small knives that Kelan had given her. The tiny bit of symbiot on her let her know that Paul had reached the Hive and was waiting for them. She trembled as she made her way up to the entrance of the tunnels that would lead to the home of the Hive. She had only been to the main cavern a couple of times before, once she was little more than a child and the other shortly after Jalo’s death. Normally, Zoran took the infants who would be matched to the small chamber under the palace. Only a small river of the golden symbiot ran through that chamber. No one else had ever been in this chamber that she was aware of, including her mother. She would not have brought Raffvin if the Queen of the Hive had not requested it.
She stood for a moment in the darkened entrance long enough to allow her eyes to adjust. She stumbled forward when Raffvin pushed her roughly from behind. As she moved forward small ropes of gold began to glow, leading the way deeper into the rock tunnel. After thirty feet, the tunnel began to slope downward. The golden glow wrapped in swirling designs, almost like it was playing as it ran along the walls. Morian glanced behind her and saw nothing but a blackness, deeper than that of space.
“Move,” Raffvin said almost drooling. His dark eyes burned with increasing greed and madness the further they traveled. “Faster,” he said impatiently pushing her roughly.
The moment he pushed her the swirling lights flickered and went out leaving them in darkness. Raffvin’s breathing sounded heavy in the confining space. He pulled his dragon forward but even with its ability to see in the dark he couldn’t see a thing. He reached out blindly, his fingers shifting into claws. He wrapped it tightly around her arm, the tips piercing deeply into the skin of her forearm. She cried out in pain and collapsed onto her knees when the grip tightened to the point she thought he was about to crush the bone in her arm.
“Stop,” she whimpered. “Please, you are hurting me.”
“Why did they go out?” He asked harshly, trying to drag her back to her feet. “Why can’t I see?” He snarled out shaking her like a rag doll.
“If you use violence they react,” she choked out as nausea threatened her when his grip continued to tighten. “Let me go and see what happens.”
Raffvin immediately let Morian’s arm go. At once, the swirling beams of golden light lit along the wall. He turned to look at Morian who had stumbled over to lean against one smooth wall. She was trembling and pale as she cradled her bloody arm against her chest. A single tear coursed down her face even as she tried to turn her head to hide it from him. For just a moment, sanity and regret touched his shattered mind.
He reached out and touched the tear, catching the dewy crystal on the tip of his finger. He pulled it closer to him to study for a moment before he touched it to the tip of his tongue. When he looked back at her, the madness had returned to his eyes. Morian couldn’t help but wonder if she had imagined Raffvin feeling any emotion beyond his own greed.
“Go,” he said, his voice echoing in the narrow passage.
Morian didn’t say anything. She just nodded and pushed away from the wall, still holding her injured arm. They did not have much further to go. She was glad. She didn’t know if she could handle much more withou
t burying one of the small knives she carried into Raffvin’s black, cold heart. She was through with being his punching bag.
The only marks I want on my body are the ones that Paul put there, she thought savagely.
Hallelujah! Her dragon muttered. I ready to fry his ass.
What does that mean? Morian asked curiously as she ducked around a low hanging ledge.
Don’t know, her dragon said. Heard Cara say it when she figured out what Ha’ven was doing. She happy and I like word. It funny sounding.
Morian’s lips twitched at her dragon’s response. Thank you for helping me find something good about all of this, she said hesitantly.
No problem, her dragon said with a grin. That another saying I like. Ariel say it a lot. I like Earth sayings. They fun. Make no sense, but fun. Our mates will take care of Raffvin. We help when time come.
Yes, it will be over soon, she whispered silently as she rounded the last curve and saw the glow coming from the chamber ahead. Very soon, she thought as she felt Raffvin’s breathing increase as he realized they were in the chamber to the Hive.
Chapter 20
Paul walked slowly down the steps that had formed for him. His eyes slid from one golden figure to another as they changed and shifted, fading in and out of sight as they moved. Sometimes they appeared solid while at other times they were so translucent, mist from a shower would have been thicker.
His eyes lit up with humor when he saw Arosa and Arilla. Arosa waved to him from where she was lying back on a golden chair while Arilla was scooping up bits of symbiot from a flowing river and tossing it into the air. Paul’s breath caught as the bits of gold shifted into different shapes as it fell back toward the ground. Some of it shifted into the form of a bird. He watched as the bits flew up toward the ceiling of the cavern where they landed on small ledges. He turned his gaze back to the others that turned into huge flying insects the size of dinner plates, their wings shimmering with color before they floated off toward large mushroom shaped trees.
