Defy

by Raine Thomas

  They had to get back to the others. Her family was down there. Bordering on panic, she tried kicking. That, also, just resulted in hurting the Lekwuesti. With each passing moment, they were getting further and further from those who had come to rescue her.

  “Can you reach my knife?” she asked the other female.

  There was some shifting against her side as the Lekwuesti tested the theory. Tate carefully maneuvered the slayer grass blade, not moving too quickly so she didn’t stab either of them. After a few attempts, both females had a grip on the blade.

  “Now what?” the Lekwuesti asked.

  “Now—what’s your name?”

  “Ariana. Yours?”

  “Tate. Okay, Ariana. I want to poke Nyx in the tail so she’ll release us. I’m bigger than you, but do you think you could fly both of us to the ground without breaking our necks?”

  Ariana shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I can try. I don’t think things could be much worse.”

  “Bite your tongue. Okay, let’s try.” Tate looked up at the kragen and winced. “Sorry, Nyx!”

  They shifted again and used the slayer grass to puncture Nyx’s tail. With an angry cry, the kragen uncurled her tail, dropping the females. Ariana twisted to put her arms around Tate as they rolled free. Tate clung to the smaller female’s waist with her arms and legs and closed her eyes as lavender wings unfurled.

  Their landing was far from graceful and took a lot of skin from Tate’s right side, but they ended up on a high mountain ridge in one piece. Concerned that Nyx would circle back and try to grab them again, Tate surged to her feet. She turned to assist Ariana up, as well.

  But when she looked at the Lekwuesti, she realized they weren’t going anywhere. Ariana was pale and unmoving, blood pouring from the bites on her neck.

  Tate knew if they didn’t get help soon, the Lekwuesti was going to die.

  Zachariah hadn’t seen the Gloresti elder in fifty years. Archigos Gabriel no longer bore the dark blue Gloresti pairing markings that used to cover his skin, Zachariah realized, and he had a human Southern accent and spoke in the unusual, informal manner that Tate did. Despite these differences, Zachariah’s response to seeing the elder who used to govern him was as instinctive as though they had been together just the day before.

  He crossed his right arm over his chest, respectfully bowed his head and said, “Archigos Gabriel.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tiege approach his father. The two moved off a short distance away. He couldn’t hear what they said.

  “Zachariah,” Gabriel greeted calmly, once again drawing Zachariah’s attention. The elder’s dark blue eyes slowly faded to blue-gray, something that intrigued Zachariah despite his discomfort with this meeting. Without a hint of judgment in his tone, he continued, “You’d better let me take care of those wounds. I think Tiege hit an artery.”

  After the experience with the Corgloresti elder, Zachariah was hard-pressed to think this was a good idea. Tate had told him about the fact that archigos Gabriel now shared the ability to heal with his avowed, kyria Amber. Their healing abilities surpassed that of any other Estilorian. Deciding he had little choice, he gave a slight nod.

  The elder approached and placed his hands around Zachariah’s neck. There was a surge of blue-gray light. Zachariah flinched at the pain caused by the light, but realized it wasn’t much worse than the pain of the injury itself. His neck and leg injuries slowly knit back together. His eyes shifted to Tiege and Caleb, who had connected themselves with some kind of flight harness. Caleb extended his wings. They took flight in the direction that Nyx had traveled. Tate must have managed to connect with her brother again and they were going after her.

  When he looked back at archigos Gabriel, he saw the elder’s brow wrinkle. His blue-gray gaze moved to his side. Zachariah supposed he had just discovered the stab wound there. When that wound healed, it was no simple mending of flesh. There was a sort of sizzling sound as it sealed itself.

  “Damn and blast,” he hissed, clenching his fists against it.

  “You’re lucky,” Gabriel said as he finished his healing efforts and stepped back. “The cursed blade affected you only a bit differently than the blessed one. Your Mercesti nature must have influenced the effect of the curse. I normally can’t heal cursed wounds with just my abilities.”

  “How’d you get stabbed with a cursed blade?”

  Zachariah hadn’t met the female Kynzesti who asked the question. Judging by her uncanny resemblance to archigos Gabriel, he suspected he now looked upon Clara Kate. He didn’t answer her.

  “What do you intend to do with me now?” he asked instead, meeting Gabriel’s intent gaze.

  “Have a conversation with you.”

  “I do not want to have a bloody conversation,” Zachariah snapped. He watched as the Corgloresti elder extended his wings and took flight, and was irritated by the fact that he wondered whether he was flying after Tate because she needed healing. “I want my life to go back to the way it was before that bloody, troublesome female fell into it.”

  “Which female?” Gabriel asked.

  Zachariah looked at Alexius. “I apologize for hitting you,” he said. “I want my weapon back now.”

  The Waresti second commander shifted as though he was going to return it, but archigos Gabriel held out his hand with his palm up, not moving his gaze from Zachariah. “Hand it to me, Alexius. Then everyone needs to leave us for a few minutes.

  “We’re having this conversation, Zachariah. Whether you want to or not.”

  Tate had never been so glad to see Sophia and Quincy.

  The pair arrived shortly after Tate sent out a thought to Tiege that she needed help and opened her senses to him so that he could find her. When Tiege said their father was with him, emotion flooded her. And the second she spotted the silver and blue-green wings in the distance, she was so overcome that her greeting to her cousin was to clutch her and sob.

  Quincy made quick work of examining and treating Ariana with what supplies he had, but he soon realized that she needed more intensive healing than he could provide. Tate regained enough of her control to send a thought to Tiege, who verbalized the need to their father, who sent a thought out to Uncle Gabriel, who finally shared the thought with archigos Ini-herit.

  While waiting for the others, Tate issued a disjointed and tear-filled recap of the past few days. She knew she made little sense, but Sophia just held her and made sympathetic sounds.

  The sight of her father’s wings in the distance had Tate wiping her face and struggling to regain her composure. She didn’t need Tiege teasing her about being a baby. Despite her efforts, though, when they landed and she saw the emotion on both their faces, she couldn’t control herself. Tiege had barely unlatched the flight harness before she threw herself into his arms. He crushed her in a fierce hug.

  “Thank God,” he said. His voice was hoarse.

  “Thanks for coming for me,” she said, though she wasn’t sure her words were coherent because her breath hitched so much as she spoke.

  Her near-hysteria only got worse when she faced her father. The moment when he stepped up to her and put his arms around her felt surreal. She didn’t know how it was possible to have so many emotions pound through her at once.

  She started with shame and remorse. “I’m so sorry, Daddy. I should’ve listened—”

  “Stop it, sweetheart,” he interrupted. “Just…let me hold you for a minute.”

  This time, she listened.

  Zachariah stood and faced the Estilorian he respected above all others—the elder he had gladly served for centuries. And silently wished he was anywhere else on the entire plane.

  Although there was plenty of noise around them as stray Mercesti were routed out and the Waresti gathered around archigos Uriel and his commanders to discuss what had occurred and what still needed to be done, Zachariah felt as though he was utterly alone.

  Alone with archigos Gabriel. And alone to face the truth about himse
lf…something he had been trying to escape for fifty years.

  “Did you kill Luvania?” Gabriel asked, breaking the silence.

  Zachariah frowned. “Do not be absurd.”

  “It had to be asked. Your name was the last word she uttered.”

  “I was the last to see her alive on the mainland,” he admitted. He didn’t bother to go into more detail.

  Several minutes passed in silence. Zachariah barely resisted rolling his eyes in resignation as a series of powerful emotions rushed through him. Even though their connection was fading, he knew that they were Tate’s. What she felt was so intense that those feelings were conveyed to him. Once the danger passed, he knew, the connection would all but disappear. He told himself he was glad about that.

  Eventually, if only to get on with things, he spoke again. “So what happens if I choose not to talk? Do you plan to stand there for the rest of your existence?”

  “If that’s what it takes.”

  Glowering, he grumbled, “I do not remember you being this stubborn.”

  “Just meet my wife,” Gabriel drawled. “You’ll understand why I had to adopt the trait.” When another period of silence passed, he continued, “I think you owe me this much after dropping off the plane for five decades, Zachariah.”

  Knowing he was right didn’t make it any easier to stomach. “What the hell do you want to know? I should think the reason for my absence is pretty damn clear.”

  “That isn’t remotely an acceptable enough response.”

  “Just what will satisfy you?”

  “The facts of what occurred to convert you.”

  Zachariah felt his jaw clench and focused on relaxing it. He started to pace, as though the movement could help him escape this conversation. Running a hand through his hair, he ground out, “How will my telling you about the experience possibly make any difference?”

  “Why are you rubbing your chest? Do you have another injury that I didn’t heal?”

  Deliberately pulling his hand down and cursing himself for not realizing he was once again trying to rub away the ache his connection to the blasted female caused, he growled, “I am fine. I am just ready to be done with this pointless conversation.”

  “Pointless?” Gabriel’s voice reflected anger and disbelief. “You think it’s pointless to want to know what happened to my second commander? Someone I trusted? Someone I cared about? Someone I mourned as much as I was able at the time?”

  Despite himself, Zachariah found himself bringing his hand back up to rub the center of his chest. He convinced himself that the pain there was still a result of his connection to Tate. “I am sorry if you feel—”

  “What do you know of feelings?” Gabriel rejoined. “If you had any, you would’ve come to me fifty years ago and explained what happened to you.”

  “And how could I have done that?” Zachariah asked bitterly before he thought better of it. He once again clenched his jaw as he thought of how to clarify his unguarded statement. “I—”

  “Don’t start lying to me,” Gabriel said, watching him consideringly. “You don’t actually know what happened when you converted, do you?”

  Zachariah’s mind flashed back fifty years. He had led a group of younger recruits on a routine training trip to the mainland. While there, they engaged a group of Mercesti. The next thing he remembered was the wall of red…followed by returning to his senses and seeing the results of the horrors of which he was capable.

  “I do not remember,” he said at last, coming to a halt in front of his former governing elder. “I do not want to remember.”

  “Zachariah,” Gabriel said, reaching out to grasp his arm. “We discovered a number of years ago that many Estilorians were influenced by Mercesti with strong mental powers to commit the acts that converted them. You might not be to blame for what happened.”

  Zachariah blinked in response to the words. He quickly squelched the small feeling of hope that dared present itself. “Even if that is true, the Mercesti would not have succeeded in influencing me if the trait was not already a part of me.”

  “No one’s perfect, Zachariah. We all have thoughts and feelings that can be influenced by someone powerful enough. If you come back with me, I can have Malukali scan your mind.” Gabriel caught his gaze and held it. “We can find out for certain what happened that day.”

  Chapter 40

  Sparky hadn’t come with them.

  Almost two weeks after she’d been rescued, Tate sat in her room, trying very hard to enjoy a day of pampering and primping. She plastered a smile on her face when it seemed appropriate and managed to laugh at the right times. But inside, she ached.

  She had learned through conversations with her parents since her return that Uncle Gabriel offered Sparky the option of coming back to be scanned by Malukali. The scan would tell them whether he had been influenced to commit the act that had converted him to Mercesti. If that had been the case, there was the possibility of it one day being reversed. Although it hadn’t been determined how, the elders believed they would find a way.

  But Sparky hadn’t come.

  Uncle Gabriel let him go, seeing no reason to force him to undergo the scan. While Sparky hadn’t said a thing about saving Tate from Nyx’s toxin and watching over her in the days that followed, her uncle was intelligent enough to reason out some of it on his own. By the time she found out about the offer of the scan, she was back home and Sparky was long gone.

  She still dreamed of him. It wasn’t the same. He didn’t interact with her like he did when they had been bonded. Rather than argue with her, insult her and order her away, he was usually nice to her and doing his best to kiss her senseless in her dreams. For some reason, although the dreams were what most beings would consider “good,” they left her feeling hollow.

  When the door to her bedroom opened, she looked up to see her mother entering the room. Ariana, Brenna and Evangeline, the three Lekwuesti helping her get ready, also looked up.

  “Oh, Tate!” her mother breathed, bringing a hand to her mouth.

  Blushing, Tate turned her gaze to her lap. She heard her mother dismiss the Lekwuesti, saying she wanted to finish any remaining preparations.

  “You’re so beautiful, honey.”

  Tate looked in the mirror in front of her. Her mother sat beside her on the vanity bench and caught her gaze. The understanding she saw there had Tate shifting her eyes uncomfortably to her own reflection.

  She wore a lovely sapphire blue gown. It had off-the-shoulder cap sleeves, a scooped neckline and an empire waist. The flowing skirts reached her slippered feet. Her hair had been tamed and straightened with one of the Lekwuesti’s empowered implements and swept up into a sleek and elegant design. Evangeline used her second power to color Tate’s hair all brown. Although it wasn’t her natural color or style, everyone thought the look would be less awkward for Tate’s coming introductions to a bunch of beings she didn’t know.

  Tate didn’t like the idea of being paired with someone who might not like her for how she normally looked, unusual hair and all. But she didn’t utter one word of objection.

  “Why are you so unhappy, honey?” her mother asked.

  Tate’s mouth opened. She watched as her features, enhanced with makeup she had never worn before, quickly worked to shape themselves into a happier expression.

  “Please tell me.”

  This time, Tate didn’t bother trying to fool her intuitive mother. Instead, she looked at her hands folded in her lap. They had conversed many times about her experience away from home and her time with Sparky. Still, she was hesitant to discuss what was in her heart. Eventually, she asked, “Mom, when did you know you loved Dad?”

  Her mother waited until she looked up again. Her arm moved around Tate’s waist. Although her head only came to Tate’s nose, she somehow—in a good, indescribably maternal way—made Tate feel like she was still a child.

  “I knew immediately,” her mother said.

  “You did?”

/>   “Yep.” She reached up to Tate’s hair and adjusted one of the jeweled hairpins. “And I think when the time comes, you’ll fall in love just as quickly. You know your mind, sweetie.”

  “But…what if he’s someone you and Dad don’t like?”

  If her mother thought her questions were odd, she didn’t say so. Instead, she again caught her gaze and gave her a hug from her spot on the bench. “I’ll love anyone you do, honey.”

  Tate appreciated the words, even if she couldn’t quite believe them.

  After a moment, her mother said in a deliberately cheerful voice, “I can’t believe you and Tiege are about to turn eighteen.”

  Knowing it was what she sought, Tate gave her mother a smile. In her head, though, she wished she could stay seventeen forever. Then she wouldn’t be facing this pairing ceremony because her parents wanted her to be guarded once she could fly. Unfortunately, she knew after two weeks of arguing that there was no getting around it.

  “Thanks for the pep talk, Mom. I know you came to get me for the ceremony. I’m ready to go,” she said.

  And was very grateful that she was the only one who could read it for the lie it was.

  “You’re here today because we’ve determined you to be the best candidates for pairing with my niece, Tate. This is not a duty to be taken lightly.”

  Tate stood next to her parents in the grassy area next to the training paddock as her Uncle Gabriel spoke. She held her hands clutched in front of her to avoid wringing them and stared at a neutral point between the shoulders of two of the males standing across from them.

  Uncle Gabriel had spent hours over the past week in conversations with her dad and Uncle James, as well as the Gloresti commander Hitoshi and second commander Balduin, to determine the top ten Gloresti candidates for pairing with her. She hadn’t been told how long the pairing would last. The situation was unusual because she wasn’t transitioning between the planes, the circumstance under which a pairing was typically created. Instead, she was about to inherit what amounted to a highly dedicated bodyguard.