Just as his father approached she screamed out loud, “You promised! You said if I came and got here first, it would all work out! You said you could even reverse what they did! Where is he, where is Jared?”
She was almost demanding something from the table but she stopped short of that, she knew it would not help or bring him back, “Someone please tell me he isn’t dead!” She looked around, but no one answered, “I need to know he’s okay, maybe hurt and weak but okay.
There was a lot of torment going on inside of her mind but she kept her head together and never lost control, although she wanted to, she knew she couldn’t risk anyone’s life over her grief. That’s when she did a very human thing, she cried.
No one knew what to say or to do, she was so powerful but all she did was cry. Kilaws couldn’t find the strength to sit, he was weakening because of her grief, he didn’t want to be there, and his son should be there.
“I can’t sit.” He suddenly said, “This is my son’s seat, and I can’t take it back right now.” He looked over at Miranda, “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough and I’m sorry he’s not here.”
He walked toward her with Aurum, and they held Miranda as she laid on the table, “You will always be our daughter and there will always be a place for you in our house.”
Tears rolled from everyone eyes as the silence was broken. Never had this world been so human before, so caring about another person’s tragedy, she had truly changed all of them. Never had this world been so human before and so caring about another person’s tragedy, she had truly changed all of them for the better. It was the first time, in the known history of the races, that one race cared about another in a time of great need.
Chapter 22
All at once a blast from the table came and Jared’s weaken, broken body flew through the doors, and was laid on the table. The table spoke to Miranda, you could only take the seat of power when everyone else sat, Emina was wrong. However, I see that because of your selflessness Kilaws won’t sit, so I am choosing to help you heal Jared quickly with your powers. I need to do this to complete the change of power because your father had already announced that he has given up his seat to you. The head seat cannot go unfilled, do as I say, and it will all work out the way I told you it would. You need to touch him near his heart, with both hands, while he is lying on the table.
“How can I heal Jared? I don’t even know how I heal myself, it just happens.”
She looked at Jared, his skin was filled with rips and tears, and blood was running down his face and onto the table. The blood seemed to come from everywhere and she had no idea how he could ever survive such a vicious attack. It made her angry, first with herself for not spotting it fast enough, and then with Celbris for challenging him to start with. The blood came for every spot she looked at, she could barley recognize Jared, she was a mix of every emotion she knew. She had to be calm for him, she needed to stop all of his bleeding, and she needed to heal him.
Miranda wasn’t sure how she could heal anyone but without another word, she didn’t want to question the table, she placed her hands on Jared’s heart and gently kissed his face. She could feel his breath on her lips, it was weak and light, but it made her smile knowing he was still alive. Celbris had ripped him apart pretty badly and normally it would have taken months for him to recover. She closed her eyes. A glow came to her once again, but this time it was green in color. She could feel the energy of everything around her, it came into her, and flowed threw her entire body. It was like nothing she had ever felt or experienced before, the energy came in through her feet and ran through her body, went out through her fingers, and into Jared’s body. It wasn’t long before Jared was moving around and trying to get himself off of the table. Everyone stared at Miranda as she pointed at Jared bound him in her shield and then gently placed him in his father’s seat at the table. He was still weak but his wounds were closed up and had been completely healed.
“We can never repay you for bringing not only our son back to us, but our world order back as well.”
Kilaws and Aurum had never been so happy, their son was back, and everything in the world was back to the way it should be.
Miranda had asked Sahen to get some pure blood to help Jared get stronger and it was working, Jared was coming back to himself, he smiled and looked at his family gathered around him.
“Miranda, my dear, how in the world can our wedding day top all of this?” He was laughing when he said it and he knew any other time Miranda would be course with him, but this time was different. “I really think we need some time to relax.”
As everyone got to laughing Gage came walking in with Carma, “What did we miss?”
He had a smile on his face, his daughter was at the head of the Concillium and Jared was not far from her side, sitting to her right in the next chair. Sahen was standing behind her in order to protect her; Mattis and Michael were with their family by Jared. This is the way things were suppose to be and he was happy, just as Miranda predicted everything worked out.
Everyone laughed as the power of the Concillium was finally transferred to Miranda.
She looked in the direction of Mical and Emina, and then asked the question everyone wanted to hear, “What should we do with these two? Also we will need to figure out what to do about Celbris, he was after all working with them, and truly was not after my hand.”
Fortuna spoke up, “Don’t forget Triu!” As she said it she looked directly at Gage, “He told your entire family line you wanted to meet with them this morning for a meeting at your house, far away from the battle. They didn’t know what was going on until they sent at messenger to see where you where. I’m sorry Gage but he admitted to Carma and I that he jumped sides, he said it when he thought they were going to win, he gave us details of what his reward would be. I know you trusted him but he was also after your seat, and got angry when they told him you would be giving it up to your daughter, I guess in some ways he felt betrayed. No matter though, he had a major role in all of this, so he too must be punished.”
She didn’t look at Gage went she spoke of punishment, she looked only at Miranda, that was the person who needed to deal with punishment now. She was the one who needed to pass judgment only the table could change the outcome.
“Miranda I know the rules are clear here, but if you could humor me, I would like to ask something of you.”
Miranda trusted Fortuna with her life and her father’s life too, she needed to hear what Fortuna would say with an open mind, “go ahead, I owe you a lot, and I value your opinion highly. Just let me know everything you want and why, I’m still not used to being in charge, and I want you to know that I will seek guidance and council from all of you, as well as the table.”
She smiled in hopes that she had answered the question properly. She didn’t want anyone to think that she wasn’t capable of making decisions, just that she needed time to get used to the power that her decisions demanded.
“That is fine, I just want you to know that before you pass judgment on the Triu’s family line, they had no idea he was a traitor. I know the law states all must pay for the recklessness of one, but I wonder if there is mercy anywhere in the law. He told me he didn’t care about his family anymore and that if he lost they could all die with him, it didn’t matter. He seemed almost spiteful, and I do not believe that they have earned his penalty, but of course I leave that up to your judgment.”
Fortuna words were just perfect, she didn’t want to presume power that wasn’t hers, but she wanted to get her point across.
Everyone wanted to see what would come of this, Fortuna and Miranda had become great friends, and Fortuna had risked her life for Miranda. No one saw what would come next as Miranda looked over everything in her mind before she spoke.
“Fortuna, I think I will allow you to punish anyone in Triu’s family line that knew anything, if there is no one at fault then your job will be easy. If however you find fault anywhere I trust you, and only you, to
take care of it and let me knew what you have decided. As for Celbris, Emina and Mical, they caused not only chaos but war in our lands and they must be punished. Is there a place that they can be secured, each separately I don’t want them near one another, until we can decide a suitable punishment for each of them.”
The crowd was in amazement, Miranda had every right to kill all three of them where they stood, but she wanted to wait and no one knew why. Jared looked at his wife to be and ask the question only he could get away with it.
“Sweetheart, why not punished them now? Why wait until a later time? Why give them the chance to escape?”
Jared was back to full strength and he couldn’t understand why she would ever entertain the idea of waiting.
“Jared and everyone else I know you don’t understand and I’m not asking you to, but I can’t be like them. No matter what they have done to me, I can’t kill or destroy them because I hate them that would make me no different than them. I really would like to but I understand the need for mercy and compassion, that being said, their punishment will fit their crime.”
She turned to looked at the two must evil being she had every encountered, “I also will not tolerate the fact that you used my happiness to bring war and destruction to everyone here, and I will make sure you pay for everything you’ve done to me, my family and everyone else. You have no idea how cruel I can be, and don’t think my human side has gotten the better of me, you will pay for what you’ve done.”
She started to get angry again, her hair was ablaze with blue fire, her eyes turned to coal and it was if she spoke with fire in her voice. Some got scared and hid, but Jared and those who knew her just waited because they knew she would calm down; this was a show of power to anyone who even remotely doubted her.
“Miranda, if I may speak please?” Brint was ready to help out to ease the tensions that were already running way to high, “Could my people run a hunting party to catch the two who have escaped? I think if we put these two,” he pointed at Emina and Mical, “in the same type of enclosure they had your father in; it will keep them from escaping and getting help from anyone stupid enough to cross you. Then I can take my best members and find the missing two, while you think and decide what judgment to pass over them.”
Miranda looked at Brint and smiled. She was happy that he was thinking ahead to the next step, “I think that would be prefect except one thing, I need to ask a favor of you, I need to keep Sahen here with me. I hope you don’t mind, I think that there is a chance that Celbris will try to come back and finish what he started with Jared and I, and I need his prefect sense of smell. I know if either of them comes near anyone, Sahen can tell me, we have a special link. I know no matter where he is he can call on me, I just don’t know how far the connection goes,” she looked behind at Sahen, “although I think we should try and find out. Maybe that is something we can work on with Carma; I need to know how far that connection can go as well. Do you two mind if we work on that.”
Miranda smiled she understood she was giving her friends a reason to be alone in front of a lot of people.
After a little more business, people were assigned to guard Emina and Mical, and a plan was given on how they would start the search for the other two and everyone believe the meeting to be over.
Miranda stood up and asked for one more minute of their time, “Jared, I believe you made a promise to me, something about being bound as soon as I took my place here at the table. I would like to set the date for Saturday, one week from today, if you wouldn’t mind?”
Jared stared into the eyes of his beautiful bride to be, “I guess we better get started then, I believe there is a lot of work to do. Can everyone make it? I think my wife to be would like everyone at our wedding, am I right Miranda?”
Jared was unbelievably happy, he figured a wedding would take a lot more time and she would want to plan something huge, in week how big could it be?
Miranda laughed, “I would like the wedding here at the Concillium where everyone can attend. It’s got be where there is a lot of space because the size is important,” she turned to Gage, “you will be performing the ceremony right?”
Gage smiled and nodded his approval. “Good. Now anyone who knows anything about bounding here in this world, come with me, I need a crash course. I want this to be the biggest one ever and we don’t have a lot of time.”
Jared sighed as Miranda left with thirty women, “I thought with only a week it would be small.” He looked defeat again, “I wonder if I should have taken more time to heal.”
All of the men laughed at him and his father spoke up, as they watch his mother walking out with Miranda, “Once they get the idea in their head forget it. I don’t care what anyone says the women in this world have all of the power, not because she has power, but because you’ll do anything for her.”
Gage looked at him, “Good luck! On top of it she is half human, and they love this stuff even more then our girls, just sit back and enjoy the ride at least it’ll be over in a week. Hey maybe you’ll get lucky and Brint will find the other two and she’ll need to worry about the punishment, it might distract her for a little while.”
They cleared out of the Concillium and went home, Gage invited Jared to hang on his side of the house for awhile until the women left.
It didn’t take too long and the women left with lists of things to do, “It’s amazing, I know they are helping me because they want to be a part of my wedding because of who I am, but it’s still fun.”
Miranda was talking to Jared’s mother Aurum when Jared finally came back to the east side. “Sweetheart, where have you been? I tried to wait for you but it seemed as if you were avoiding it, so I went on without you, what happened were you to tired?”
“No, when we decided we were going to be together, we said we would always be honest with each other. Miranda I had no idea you were going to go crazy like this with the binding, your dad says it’s a women thing, but I need you to understand men just don’t get it.”
Jared looked at Sahen, “You poor guy, why did you go with them? When you got here you could stayed on the west side or even in the middle, she’s fine by herself, you didn’t need to baby sit her.”
Sahen looked like he just went through a second war, one more powerful then the first, “I didn’t want to be rude, but I have to say Miranda, don’t ever do that to me again. Please!” He looked like he was ready for a long nap, “I’m going to go to bed, now.” He looked back at Miranda, “Don’t worry I’ll still be on alert, they can try to get past me, but it will take a lot to do that.”
Miranda kissed him gently on the cheek, “It’s ok and you never have to sit through that again, you should have left, I lost track of you at one point and Jared’s right I can take care of myself. I really asked you to stay behind so Carma would go crazy on me. I do need someone around in case they come back, but it would be foolish for them to try. Don’t you think?”
Jared had a guard take his mother and some of the others home. He wanted to be able to sleep well tonight knowing everyone was safe and sound.
He turned to Miranda, “Aren’t you tired? It is getting late and it’s been a long day. Why don’t I take you to see your father, and then we’ll go to bed, we can even sit up and talk for awhile if you want. Don’t worry if anything important happens you’ll be the first to know. They always call the head of the table first before any news goes out anywhere, even to the other hybrids; you get to decide what everyone hears.”
Miranda’s face changed, “That’s not it I don‘t care if I know first, I forgot to call my mother, I was going to do it an hour ago. I hope she isn’t freaking out by now, in need to call her before she goes crazy, do you know where I put my phone?” Miranda was busy looking for her cell phone when Gage came in and Jared filled him in.
Gage walked over and tapped Miranda’s shoulder, “Miranda, I have a phone you can use to call your mother anytime, it comes up public phone on caller ID. I had it put in the hallway
in a small closet with a nice seat; I knew you would always need to be able to call her, even when she knew the truth. Come here and I’ll show you.”
Gage took her to the hall and into the small room; she smiled and kissed him as she went in to call. “Jared and I will be in the living room when you’re done, ok, take your time.”
Gage motioned as he whispered for Jared to follow him, “We need to talk.”
Jared couldn’t understand what he was being so secretive about. They walked into the living room and he saw Sahen, Michael, Mattis and Carma waiting.
“Just keep your voices down, ok, Miranda’s on the phone and I don’t want her to know anything yet.”
Jared was getting alarmed, “What’s going on? You guys were going to bed, why are you out here? You told Miranda to take her time on the phone with her mother, what are you up to?”
Gage looked at Jared with a tired face, “Look I want her to talk to her mother before she hears any of this, her mother can only be fooled part of the time, and she’ll hear the worry in Miranda’s voice.”
Jared started to get upset and angry, and that’s when Gage spoke again, “Look you need to keep it together, it’s going to be crazy enough with all of the guards around now, they spotted Celbris and Triu not far from here. One of my animals was killed and they used the blood to right Miranda’s name. Now what you need to understand is that they don’t know anything, we realized that Celbris and Triu crawled away before everything happened so they still only know a small part of her powers. It’s good because she can defend herself, and it’s bad because they will try and kidnap her, we need to know if they have made any plans yet. Jared she is going to need to look into all of our eyes, we will need to know everything they are going to do, and we need to know ahead of time.”
Jared was tired and he knew Miranda was tired, “Is there any way we could hold off until tomorrow? Can we give her one good night sleep, and one night where she is happy and thinks everything is ok, she just started with the binding? I’ll tell her in the morning and I’ll take the heat for not giving her the information tonight.”
Between Shadows Page 26
